A Hogwarts Tale
by faeryespell
Summary: Hogwarts has never seen wide terror since the attacks of the Basilisk on the Muggleborns... until now. Now everyone is the target. And it all begins when Draco Malfoy falls for one of the three beautiful Durmstrang exchange students.
1. Prologue

_I was not alone in creating this story. Its formation was because of us three... my friend Maria, and of course, myself, and another friend, who is an author here herself. Her name here is _emeraldorchid_; be sure to read her stories. But now begins our tale, as we unfold Rowling's glories. Mind you, we are merely using her setting and characters, but otherwise, this story belongs to us three creators.  
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A Hogwarts Tale_

Prologue- The Arrival

As soon as the piercing whistles of the Hogwarts Express died away, another, strange sound echoed after it. In the foggy darkness that followed the train rapidly moving back to London, a dim pair of lights appeared on the same tracks, but moving towards the castle.

The rumbling sound grew louder. It seemed deeper, almost thunderous, than that of the Hogwarts Express.

Then all went quiet, and the dim pair of lights disappeared. The only lights that could be seen in the fog now were the shimmering glows of the castle beyond.

Not a soul stirred on the tracks. Suddenly, with a loud burst a train shot out from thin air onto them. With a long screech the train halted. None of the students up at the castle heard a single sound.

Though it was dotted with water drops from the cold mist, the train was clearly visible in the darkness. It gleamed a bright blood red, making it look strangely skeletal, and the smoke rising up from its engine seemed ghostly in the phosphorescent light of the moon above. The windows were illuminated a dismal yellow light, and the calm waters of the Great Lake before the train eerily reflected them.

There was the sound of sliding doors; someone was stepping off the train. Their soft footsteps walked around the train, sounding wet on the moist stone ground. Following them was a loud thud, as though something was being thrown onto the ground. Suddenly a voice yelled out from the darkness:

'Hey! Yer from tha' other school, righ'? The new transfer students or somethin'?'

A tall silhouette holding a lamp loomed over the three figures that now stood before the train. Rubeus Hagrid sniffed loudly, held up the lamp and stared down at the cloaked figures. The shortest of the three leaned to one side and seemed to whisper to the other figure, who suddenly gave a violent shudder. The third person slowly turned to them and the two rapidly faced Hagrid again. Hagrid, however, did not notice, as he was busy wiping his nose on the sleeve of his fur coat.

'Glad to have yeh with us!' he exclaimed loudly, and gave another sniff. 'Sorry, the weather's bin nasty fer me health. Welcome to Hogwarts! Yer a little late, though. Why, it's nearly Halloween! Still, better late then never, me always say. Well, we better get a move on. We don't want ter miss the banquet! Jus' leave yer luggage an' things 'ere. Someone'll ge' it...'

He turned around and motioned the three to follow him. Silently, they followed him to the edge of the giant lake. With another burst, the train behind them disappeared in a puff of smoke.

'There we are!' announced Hagrid, as he pointed at a large boat floating peacefully on the smooth surface. 'Get in! We have ter cross the lake!'

The first of the three hesitated, then gently stepped onto the boat. The two followed suit. Hagrid slipped the lamp up his arm and stepped onto the boat. It rocked dangerously as his weight lowered it several inches deeper into the water. The three figures hastily moved to the opposite side of Hagrid to balance the swaying boat.

'Ah yes,' he said with a contented grunt. 'Now it's off ter the castle!'


	2. The Three Dark Girls

Chapter 1- The Three Dark Girls

'I can't believe how stupid the Great Hall looks with these stupid decorations!' Draco Malfoy sneered.

As Halloween was fast approaching, the Great Hall had been decorated with its usual splendor: numerous Jack-o-lanterns levitated below the misty evening sky of the enchanted ceiling, and thousands of live bats fluttered from wall to wall. Much to Draco's irritation, they often swooped down to grab some food off the tables from unsuspecting students. But the teachers had slightly outdone the decorations by adding skeletons made of some paper and glue to hang from the stone walls. Draco gazed at them with narrow eyes.

'Everything looks ridiculous,' he commented to Goyle, who was sitting beside him and seemed to be having a difficult time chewing a mouthful of baked potatoes and nodding in agreement with Draco at the same time. Crabbe, who was sitting on the other side of Goyle, nodded vigorously, sending pieces of kidney pie flying off his chest. Several students in front of him yelled in shock and anger as they were sprayed with the kidney pie.

Draco shook his head in exasperation. He grabbed a golden knife and roughly sliced the roast chicken in front of him. Then his eyes fell on Harry Potter, sitting on the opposite side of the Great Hall. He began to chop the chicken with anger.

'Draco, what's wrong?' asked Pansy Parkinson in a childish voice, fingering her prefect badge. He hated it when she talked like that. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his temper.

'Nothing is wrong...' he began, when suddenly a loud knocking sound came from the closed doors of the Great Hall.

Professor Albus Dumbledore stood up from the teachers' table.

'Ah,' he said, his eyes twinkling, 'it seems that our new students have arrived at last.'

Draco spun round to stare at Professor Dumbledore. '_New students?_'

A loud buzzing erupted. It seemed that everyone was asking the same question. The bats grew excited with the sudden chatter and began zooming around the hall.

The doors opened with a loud bang. Hagrid walked in, shivering and holding a dying lamp.

'The students o' Durmstrang have arrived, Professor,' he declared between sniffs.

Draco clutched Goyle's arm in excitement. 'Durmstrang? We have new students from _Durmstrang_?' Goyle gazed at him in confusion, obviously at a loss on how to react. Draco, however, ignored him and turned to Crabbe. But before he could say anything more, Hagrid began speaking again.

'Here we are, yeh three! Go on, in yeh go!' he said proudly.

He stepped aside to reveal the three figures behind him. Draco, along with the rest of the school, gasped.

Standing there were three attractive girls, each one wearing robes of blood red and holding a black cloak. The girl on the far left of Draco was tanned and her pretty face wore an impish smile, which complimented her beady brown eyes. She had her black hair tied loosely back, which she now fingered as she whispered something to the girl beside her. The one next to her was slightly shorter and fair, with an innocent face and wide green eyes. The two of them were staring around the Great Hall with apparent interest. But the girl on the right was whom Draco found more appealing. She was the tallest of the three, and the eldest, judging by her face. With her pale skin, flawless complexion and long black hair, she seemed somehow mysterious. Her metallic blue eyes scanned the surrounding with cautiousness.

'Why did they transfer here from Durmstrang?' demanded Pansy with obvious jealousy.

As the room was so quiet everyone, including the three Durmstrang girls who eyed her with questioning looks, heard her words, after which Hagrid gave a loud sniff.

Professor Dumbledore chuckled softly. 'That is for their own reasons, Miss Parkinson,' he said, looking at her scowling expression. 'But they will certainly be joining our precious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But first, they will have to be sorted!'

Draco stared at him, and immediately smiled. Students from Durmstrang, the school known for its powerful Dark Arts, would surely be sorted into Slytherin. _How convenient_, he thought with a smirk. _But are they going to be sorted here, right now?_

'Professor McGonagall, will you please bring out the Sorting Hat?'

The four Houses began talking rapidly, as each one looked at the three strange girls, and then at Professor McGonagall, who was now walking towards the center of the hall, carrying a four-legged stool and a very battered wizard's hat.

'Why can't they change that stupid hat?' muttered Draco, and then turned to look at the girls again.

The two girls on the left were now chatting excitedly with each other, occasionally being examined by the third, mysterious girl. She leaned to say something to the green-eyed girl then looked up, and caught Draco's gaze. He felt mesmerized by her piercing blue eyes.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly. 'Please step forward,' she said loudly.

The three girls slowly walked towards her. Hagrid beamed, then bowed and turned to leave the Great Hall, closing the doors after him.

'When I call your name, you will sit, and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head,' said Professor McGonagall. 'You already know what the houses are, I am sure. Dawn Adelheid.'

The girl with the green eyes bounced towards the stool and sat down on it with a wide smile.

'Look at her. She doesn't even _look _like a Durmstrang! It's like she's from the land of sweet happiness. How sickening,' Draco heard Marcus Flint comment to Blaise Zambini. Draco stared at Dawn Adelheid with raised eyebrows.

Everyone leaned forward curiously as the Sorting Hat remained quiet for a moment, then said, 'Ah... very interesting. A very intelligent mind, extraordinary...'

Draco smirked, and glanced at Granger at the Gryffindor table. Her lips were pursed and she was staring at Adelheid with a look of growing contempt.

'Your mind is that of a Ravenclaw,' continued the Sorting Hat, 'yes, and quite active, I see. But otherwise... you should be... SLYTHERIN!'

The Slytherin table erupted in cheers. Even Marcus Flint seemed pleased, Draco noticed. Draco clapped loudly, and smiled innocently at Potter, who had just turned to look at him.

Dawn Adelheid took off the Sorting Hat and placed it back on the stool. She was glowing with evident joy, and she ran towards the Slytherin table, where many offered her a place to sit. However, she chose to sit at the very end of the table, a few seats away from Draco.

'Atara Lilith!' called out Professor McGonagall.

Draco sat up with interest as he saw the tall, pale girl sit upon the stool with the Sorting Hat on her head. So her name was Atara Lilith.

'Nice name,' he said aloud. He glanced at Pansy, who was pouting at his remark.

'Quite difficult...' muttered the Sorting Hat. 'Secretive, yet active as well. And a great mind too, a great mind. You would do well in SLYTHERIN!'

Draco's smile widened as he shouted loudly for Atara Lilith. The Slytherin table was the only one cheering; Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were merely applauding out of politeness, and Gryffindor had remained stubbornly quiet.

Lilith walked gracefully towards the table and sat down next to a grinning Adelheid. Now there was only one more to go...

'Maria Tempestt!'

The tanned girl strode forwards, sat down and grabbed the Sorting Hat from Professor McGonagall, who gazed at her with patient annoyance. Tempestt plopped the Sorting Hat onto her head and it said, 'My, such an eager, adventurous mind, and also very intelligent. Ah, Durmstrang has taught you well. I know just where to put you... SLYTHERIN!'

This time the Gryffindor table groaned loudly. Draco felt an immense satisfaction and he clapped and cheered. Tempestt threw the Sorting Hat off and joined Adelheid and Lilith at the end of the table. Draco gazed at them and folded his arms. This was going to be a very interesting year.

'Now that the Sorting is finished, we can resume our feast!' declared Professor Dumbledore, as Professor McGonagall went to return the stool and the Sorting Hat. 'Welcome, once again, to Hogwarts. Oh, and one more thing. As I was informed, Miss Adelheid and Miss Tempestt will be in fourth year, and Miss Lilith is to be in fifth year. But as they already have knowledge of what other things there are to know about Hogwarts, please continue with this lovely feast.'

Draco glanced at Atara Lilith. _Good_, he thought, _we're in the same year. She's sure to know tons of the Dark Arts. Maybe she can teach m-_

He was interrupted out of his thoughts by a hard tugging on his shoulder. Annoyed, he turned his face around and found the girl called Dawn Adelheid staring down at him with a broad, toothy grin on her face.

'Hi!' she said in a rapid, high-pitched voice, though it suited her much more than it suited Pansy, in Draco's opinion. 'I'm Dawn Adelheid, pleased to meet you! Hey... you're cute! Sorry to bother you, but can we please borrow this pumpkin pie-' she reached forward and picked up the pie in front of Goyle, who looked at her in anger, 'because we didn't eat much on the way here, and it just seemed that this pie looked really delicious! We don't have any pie where we're sitting, and when I spotted it I just felt like giving it a taste. The people sitting around us actually volunteered to get it, but then I told them it was no problem, I wanted to get it, so I could meet the rest of the Slytherins! But then Atara volunteered to get it, she's always nice, but a little bossy at times, but I said no, and Maria offered, and I still said no, so here I am, asking you if we can have this pie to eat!'

Draco and many others stared at Adelheid with surprise and confusion. Draco leaned closer to her, not sure whether he had heard what she had just said.

'Um, okay...' he said slowly, examining Adelheid with interest. She giggled loudly, then skipped her way back to her friends. Draco could still hear her talking away to them.

'That girl talks too much, if you ask me,' retorted Pansy, scowling.

'But no one asked you, Pansy,' said Draco with a smirk, and drank his pumpkin juice with relish. Pansy's mouth dropped open in rage. He turned to look at Lilith again, watching her talk to Adelheid and the girl named Tempestt, as she slowly ate a piece of the pumpkin pie.

Yes, this was going to be a _very _interesting year.


	3. The Prodigy of Potions

Chapter 2- The Prodigy of Potions

Draco hummed quietly to himself, as he watched Professor Snape criticize Neville Longbottom for the third time, and he grinned with contentment. Potter, who had been assigned as his partner, as usual, snorted with rage.

It was double Potions today, with the Gryffindors, but Draco had looked forward to seeing Lilith in the class. He wondered if the potions that were taught in Durmstrang were as advanced as their Dark Arts.

Professor Snape had chosen the Dreamer's Draught for them to make in for this particular lesson. Draco looked up at the blackboard, where it was written: _The Dreamer's Draught- a powerful potion capable of sending one into a deep slumber followed by a dream of he or she's most greatest desires._

Draco raised an eyebrow with interest. What was Lilith's greatest desire? He looked at her, sitting directly to his right, calmly adding octopus powder into her bubbling cauldron. Draco blinked with confusion and looked up at the board. There were over twenty instructions for the procedure of making the potion, and he scanned each one. Finally, he found what he had been looking for; he read the last instruction: _Slowly add the octopus powder into the concoction, stirring it clockwise at the same time. The colour should turn a bright pink, thus indicating the potion has been made successfully._

And sure enough, when Draco glanced at Lilith's cauldron, her potion was a bright pink, with numerous pink bubbles forming on its surface. She smiled with satisfaction.

Draco gasped with shock. He, and the rest of the class for that matter, had not even reached the sixth instruction. Slowly, Lilith raised her hand.

'What is it, Miss Lilith?' asked Professor Snape. The entire class turned to her.

'I finished my potion, sir,' she said quietly. Draco noted her voice sounded silvery and mysterious.

Professor Snape stared at her with narrow eyes. He strode towards her and peered into her cauldron, and his beady eyes widened with surprise.

'In- indeed,' he said, and cleared his throat loudly. 'It seems that Miss Lilith, our new student from Durmstrang, has managed to complete the potion well within the time limit. Twenty-seven minutes to be precise.'

A soft murmur arose from the Gryffindors. They were all staring at Granger, who was Lilith's partner and absolutely seething with anger. Lilith simply gazed at her with her hypnotizing blue eyes. Draco felt his spirits rise greatly. Finally, someone had defeated Granger in class.

'Fifty points to Slytherin,' announced Professor Snape, obviously impressed. Several of the Slytherins whooped and whistled at Lilith. Draco smirked at Potter.

'However-' continued Professor Snape, and the class instantly quieted, 'I am informed that potions such as these are basic in the school of Durmstrang. So I would like to see Miss Lilith brew a highly advanced potion.'

He raised his wand and pointed at the blank blackboard on the opposite wall. Chalk words suddenly appeared on the board, which read _Potion of Hatred. _

Draco stared at the words in confusion. He had never heard of that potion. And neither did the rest of the class, so it seemed. Granger stared at the board with an expression of mixed smugness and pity. Lilith, however, remained indifferent.

'Alright, Professor _Snape_,' she whispered, emphasizing his name as though she had just tasted something horribly sour. He threw back his greasy head arrogantly, and pointed at the board again. More words began appearing under _Potion of Hatred_, listing instructions so complex that Draco was awed to think that Lilith was actually going to challenge Professor Snape's intellect.

The ingredients for the potion were simple and easily attainable, but the procedure on brewing it was as long as the procedures of twenty basic potions combined together.

'Begin now,' hissed Professor Snape.

For one complete hour, Lilith continued to slowly but confidently follow the instructions written upon the dusty blackboard, during which time everyone had completely neglected their assignment of the Dreamer's Draught to watch her work. For once, Professor Snape didn't notice, or didn't care, so Draco assumed.

Finally, much to everybody's surprise, Lilith lowered her eyes from the board and stared coolly into Professor Snape's own expressionless eyes, and said calmly, 'I'm done.'

'Silence!' barked Professor Snape, as a loud murmur erupted in the class. He whipped around, strode to his table and grabbed an empty phial standing on it. Once he stood in front of Lilith's cauldron, he dipped the phial into it, and slowly filled it with the dark brown concoction.

He glared at Lilith suspiciously, and he strode to the other side of the room, until he faced a very frightened-looking Goyle.

'If Miss Lilith has actually succeeded in making a perfect Potion of Hatred,' said Professor Snape icily, 'the drinker will feel an immense sense of hatred towards the person he cares most for.'

He leaned forward, so that his face was just inches away from Goyle's sweating one.

'Drink it, Mr. Goyle,' ordered Professor Snape, holding out the phial. 'Or you shall find yourself in a worse predicament. Drink it, there's nothing to be afraid of. I have the antidote lest something... _uncontrollable _happens.'

Draco stared at him in curiosity. What if the potion _was _perfect?

Everyone held their breath as Goyle nervously took the phial from Professor Snape's pale hands. Draco glanced back at Lilith, who, to his surprise, looked horrified. Goyle closed his eyes, and slowly brought the phial to his lips. Then, in one long second, he swallowed the potion.

Several tense minutes passed. Goyle didn't seem any different, except for the dazed look in his half-open eyes. Professor Snape peered at him in anticipation.

Suddenly, as though an explosion occurred, Goyle let out a terrific howl and stood up rapidly, the sudden movement flinging his chair behind. His expression turned angry, and he howled again. He turned to face Draco.

Draco stood up, obviously sensing what was coming. 'Sir, shouldn't you get the antidote?' he said in panic, as Goyle began marching towards him. Everyone else, too, got up in alarm. Lilith ran to Draco's side.

'Professor!' she cried, 'I didn't realize you would actually test the potion on someone! Sir, that's a powerful potion!'

'I know that, you stupid girl!' yelled Professor Snape.

'But sir, that potion could last forever if the antidote isn't taken within twenty-four hours!'

Draco stared at her in horror. 'Are you _serious_? You mean I could have Goyle trying to murder me for the rest of my threatened life?'

Lilith nodded, and screamed as Goyle threw aside a table in his way. Draco's heartbeat increased with every step Goyle took towards him.

'PROFESSOR!' the entire class cried. Professor Snape hurriedly retrieved a small tube containing a milky substance from the inner pocket of his cloak.

He ran forwards and grabbed Goyle's shoulders, and Goyle let out another howl of anger. Professor Snape took this opportunity to shove the milky contents into Goyle's mouth. Immediately, he went slack in Professor Snape's arms. The class gave an enormous sigh of relief.

'Another fifty points to Slytherin, for a perfect potion...' said Professor Snape between breaths. Draco could only stare at him. He was going to tell his father about this. A teacher attacking a student by means of another student...

'Are you alright?' asked Lilith in concern.

Draco faced her, and, though his heart was still beating in time with the rushing blood in his head, he couldn't help but smile in admiration. She smiled back, and blinked her blue eyes.

Granger suddenly appeared at Lilith's side. 'What exactly are the kind of things they teach you at Durmstrang?' she demanded.

'Potions more complicated and with more drastic results than this, and also they encourage us to create our own potions. Be warned, you may find something of mine in your drink one of these days... and besides, didn't your boyfriend Krum tell you anything?'

Granger gaped at Lilith, who calmly smiled back at her. Draco smirked, and instantly forgot his previous feelings of panic and terror.


	4. Charming Transfigurations

Chapter 3- Charming Transfigurations

'I can't _believe _Snape asked you to brew such a potion!' Dawn stared at Atara in mock surprise.

Atara smiled at her friend, and stretched herself over the green velvet couch in the Slytherin common room. Dawn, who was sitting on an armchair facing the couch, giggled loudly, as she watched Maria sit on the floor in front of her and yawn widely.

'Didn't we do that potion, like, in our second year?' asked Maria, and she scratched her head lazily.

Atara nodded slowly. 'Yes. It was so simple for me to do. But I hate Professor Snape for testing the potion on some boy. Even Professor Vanhurn in Durmstrang wouldn't do such a thing.'

'Oh the cruelty of today's world,' crooned Dawn, waving her hands dramatically.

'Ah, come on, Atara,' exclaimed Maria, and she leaned her head back on Dawn's lap. 'Don't be so Miss Goody-Two-Shoes again. At least you received a hundred points today! See, your first day at Howarts was as perfect as I predicted!'

'Still...' mumbled Atara. She combed her sleek hair with her fingers. 'Anyway, how was your first day of school? You didn't _do _anything, did you?'

'Oh, don't worry,' replied Dawn, batting her eyelashes innocently at Atara. 'We acted like little good girls today. Pretty interesting day actually, lots of boring subjects though. It was too bad; really, we didn't have Transfiguration and Charms today. Mostly doubles... Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts... yeah, like that'll happen, and Care of Magical Creatures. The giant bloke...'

'Damn I couldn't stop laughing when I first saw him!' said Maria, giggling.

'Idiots...' muttered Atara.

'... brought some pretty interesting animals called Puffskeins... They were so cute! I wanted to steal one but people kept looking at me. It was _so _annoying. Oh, and we won points in every subject today! Ooh, those Puffskeins were so cute... I should've taken one...'

Maria looked up at Atara. 'Oh yeah, but she was too busy staring at this guy from Gryffindor. I forgot about that...' she said, waving her hand carelessly. 'Yes, we acted... well, like _you_, Atara dear. Smart, innocent, good girls!'

Dawn nodded happily. Atara gazed at them suspiciously.

'You were perfect today only so that you could make a good impression on people, weren't you?' she said, sitting up and folding her arms patiently. 'Then tomorrow you're going to present yourselves in some dramatic show in which you could end up in detention for!'

'Wow, you're psychic!' exclaimed Maria. 'Ooh, you know us that well...'

Atara shook her head in exasperation. 'Whatever, you two. I'm going to bed.'

Dawn whistled softly. 'Wait a minute!' she called cheerfully. 'What's going on between you and that cute, blond guy? Malfoy, is it?'

'Ah yes,' said Maria, lifting her head off Dawn's lap and standing up. 'I noticed something too. We saw you busy chatting with him awhile ago, didn't we Dawn?'

Dawn threw herself off the armchair in excitement. 'We did! And your little talk with him seemed pretty intense! After all, your potion did almost kill him... wow, you're really adapting to Hogwarts, aren't you?'

'Hey!' said Atara, her pale cheeks growing pink. 'There is _nothing _going on! Forget it, both of you! I'm going to bed now, _if you don't mind_!'

She turned on her heels and went up the stairs leading to their dormitory, her footsteps heavy and angry. Dawn gave a small gasp.

'Do you think we hurt her feelings?' she asked in a small voice. 'I mean, we should give her a break, Maria. You know how sensitive Atara is.'

Maria chuckled. 'Yeah, I know. But it's just so _funny _to watch her react like that! I'll tease her s'more tomorrow, and probably for the rest of her life. Come on, let's go to sleep too. We don't want to be late for tomorrow's class!'

'What a- a fine way to start our s- second day at Hogwarts!' said Maria dryly, as she stopped to catch her breath.

'It was your fault we got up late in the first place!' retorted Dawn, tugging Maria's arm impatiently. 'Come one, Maria! Charms started ten minutes ago!'

'It's your stupid cat's fault, not mine,' muttered Maria, as they began running again, until finally they reached a small wooden door. Without knocking they burst into the classroom. A small, dwarf-like man standing on a tall pile of thick books stared at them with a warm smile.

'Did you get lost?' he asked kindly. Before Dawn could speak though, Maria stamped on her foot and nodded her head vigorously.

'It's alright!' said Professor Flitwick with a small chuckle. 'Now come in, come in. I am Professor Flitwick, your Charms teacher. I was just explaining the wand movement of the Mind's Eye charm...'

'Oh, that's easy!' interrupted Maria without thinking. The entire class turned to look at her oddly. Dawn grinned in agreement, and Maria looked at Professor Flitwick expectantly. He chuckled again, however.

'Easy, eh? Ah yes, Durmstrang is a highly advanced school. In that case, why don't you show us, Miss Tempestt?'

'Go Maria!' whispered Dawn excitedly, as she sat down next to a curious-looking boy with auburn hair. 'Hi!' she added happily.

Maria cleared her throat loudly and, taking out her wand, pointed it at Ginny Weasley, who gasped in horror.

'ESCAPUS!' cried Maria, and Ginny shrieked.

Suddenly, Ginny's expression turned blank. Her eyes became glassy and wide-eyed. The students of Slytherin applauded loudly, but the Gryffindors remained silent with suspense and fear. Professor Flitwick clapped his small hands.

'Well done, Miss Tempestt!' he exclaimed. 'See, class, a perfect Mind's Eye charm! It removes your opponent of all thoughts completely, but temporarily of course, thus giving you the advantage to attack! Five points to Slytherin!'

Maria bowed slightly, then sat down in the empty chair behind Dawn, who gave her a thumbs-up.

'Now, before I let you practice the charm on your _animals_,' continued Professor Flitwick, eyeing Maria appreciatively, 'I will first explain the Mind's Speech charm, which is the second out of the six Mind charms. Does anyone know what...'

'It is a charm that causes your opponent to speak out his thoughts, thus giving you the advantage of overcoming his plans,' declared Maria confidently.

'In other words, you immediately know what your opponent is thinking for he is forced to speak his mind aloud,' said Dawn with a grin.

The class remained silent, as the two gazed at Professor Flitwick with aplomb. Ginny Weasley, now in her normal state of mind, stared at them with eyes burning with anger, which accentuated her flaming hair. Before Professor Flitwick could say anything, though, Maria added:

'Sir, don't look so surprised. We were taught that charm in our _first _year. It's very simple to perform, as I so indicated by my performance of the Mind's Eye charm. And the Mind's Speech charm is actually the _fourth _charm out of _six _Mind charms.'

'Really?' asked Professor Flitwick quietly.

Charms class ended thirty minutes earlier than usual, for Maria had ended up stating and performing every single spell that Professor Flitwick mentioned. As a result, Slytherin had received forty points, but had lost ten for Maria's boldness.

'My _boldness_?' exclaimed Maria in disbelief, as she and Dawn walked down the corridors on their way to Transfiguration class. 'My _boldness_? What's so wrong about being bold once in a while? Aren't we all supposed to be bold? What's wrong with this school?'

'Well, for one thing, it's not Durmstrang,' replied Dawn cheerfully. 'Don't worry. I bet that dwarf guy was just jealous of your brilliance. Oh woe is we, our intellect is much abhorred here at Hogwarts. Which is why we must be feared!'

'Ingenious!' cried Maria, her face set with determination. 'We will be so feared and admired by everyone that none will ever forget the three transfer girls from Durmstrang! With my wonderful brilliance of Charms, your immense knowledge of Transfiguration, and Atara's very scary power of Potions, we shall rule Hogwarts!'

'Ooh, I love that idea! But won't Atara disapprove of it?'

'So what?' said Maria, waving a hand carelessly. 'At Durmstrang we didn't do anything, yet we somehow managed to become the most popular girls there!'

'But Hogwarts seems so... innocent!' said Dawn with a pout.

Maria stopped and faced her with a wicked grin. 'Exactly.'

'You guys received detention _already_?' Atara stared at them in shock.

Dawn gazed at her apologetically. 'Sorry?'

Atara frowned. 'And what is the brilliant thing you did that so brilliantly got you two into this?'

Maria covered her mouth, trying to suppress a giggle. Dawn bit her lip for the same reason. Atara folded her arms, and stared at them with her eyebrows raised questionably.

'I hate it when you look at us like that!' cried Maria, closing her eyes tightly. 'It forces me to say... all right! During Transfiguration... well, let's just say that Professor McGonagall wasn't too pleased with our success of transfiguring her hat into a monkey.'

'What?' demanded Atara quietly.

'Well...' said Dawn uncomfortably. 'We _were _supposed to transfigure objects into animals... so we chose her hat instead! She was okay with it actually, for we did manage to perform it excellently, unlike the others. But she got a little annoyed when we began transfiguring it again and again... a different animal each time... then we started _playing _with this rat we had to transfigure... made a nice paperweight...'

Dawn couldn't control it any longer. She burst out laughing, sending Maria off too. Atara threw up her hands in exasperation.

'You guys are _hopeless_,' she said with a sigh.

'Oh yeah,' said Maria, and stopped laughing instantly. 'We are going to rule Hogwarts, okay, Atara? Goodnight!'

She and Dawn ran up the stairs and into the girls' dormitory before Atara could ask what she meant.

'Rule?'


	5. Scary Surprises

Chapter 4- Scary Surprises

Draco chewed his roasted turkey slowly, watching the Durmstrang girls as he ate. Tempestt and Adelheid seemed to have bewitched their forks into a sword fight, while Lilith silently watched their battle.

It had only been three days ago when they arrived, and already they seemed to be getting along well with everything. Draco examined Lilith's face, as the memory of the Potions class merged into his mind. Though Goyle had apologized to him countless of times already, Draco remained angry and ignorant to him. Draco had already sent a letter to his father, Lucius Malfoy, relating all that had happened. Yet he couldn't help admiring Lilith all the same. She seemed so mysterious. _I should be the one to make her reveal her true self_.

The Great Hall, still overly decorated, was busy and full of the chatter of the four Houses. Then they heard Professor McGonagall sharply tap her glass with her spoon. As the Hall quieted, Professor Dumbledore stood up.

'I hope you are all enjoying these last few days before Halloween,' he said loudly, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. 'I have an important announcement to make! We, the staff and myself, think that you deserve something special this year. As you recall, last year we had our wondrous Yule Ball. An unforgettable experience, I do say so myself.' He gave a small chuckle. Draco yawned.

'Well,' continued Professor Dumbledore, 'as a treat to you all, we are going to have a little celebration. Or shall I say, a Halloween costume ball?'

An excited babble erupted. Draco's mouth dropped open in surprise and several students began asking questions loudly. Professor Dumbledore, however, seemed quite calm, though amused at the sudden commotion.

'Yes, yes, we are going to have a Halloween ball. You may or may not come with a partner, but mind you: you only have two weeks to prepare. And remember that you must come in costume! What fun!'

'That man must be _mental _to think that _I _will go in _costume_!'

Draco threw himself onto the velvet couch with a groan. Goyle and Crabbe stood behind the couch, quiet and unsure whether to answer Draco. He glared at them over his shoulder and folded his arms impatiently.

'Who does Dumbledore think he is,_ Potter_? To go and announce ridiculous things like that?' he demanded loudly. The few people who were in the common room glanced at him suspiciously, then nodded hastily when he glared back at them.

'I swear, this ball is so stu-' Draco stopped in mid-sentence, as Lilith and her two friends walked into the room. A thought struck him, and without another word Draco leapt off the couch and strode towards them. Goyle and Crabbe obediently followed.

'Hey, you three,' Draco said, smirking. Adelheid giggled and Tempestt raised an eyebrow with curiosity. They both glanced at Lilith, who looked at him with a small smile. Then they stared at Goyle and Crabbe behind Draco with interest.

'Hi Malfoy,' Lilith said quietly.

'Are you going to this ball thing?' he asked casually. Much to his delight, she nodded.

'Of course. I wouldn't miss such a thing. We never had anything like it at Durmstrang.'

'Uh-huh,' squealed Adelheid happily. She examined Goyle, and he gazed at the floor uncomfortably. 'Say, aren't you the one who Atara was telling us about, the one who was given the Hatred Potion, and you tried to kill Malfoy here? Aren't you, aren't you?'

'Dawn!' muttered Lilith warningly. Adeldeid whipped around with a questioning expression.

Draco gave a small snicker. 'Yes, that's him, Adelheid. Anyway, so you three are going to the ball. Lilith, would you like to go with me?' He stepped closer and watched her face carefully.

'Ooh!' cried Adelheid and Tempestt together. Lilith gazed up at Draco with the same expression on her pale face.

'No.'

'No?' asked Draco, quite taken aback. No one had ever rejected his requests before. He smirked, as he thought, _Interesting. She's playing hard to get._

'I've heard many stories about you, Malfoy,' said Lilith, placing one hand on her hip, 'and none of them impress me. I can't go with someone so a bad a reputation as you.'

'You hurt me, Atara Lilith,' said Draco, stepping closer to her and ignoring more squeals from the other two girls. 'I'm not all bad.'

'You know, that's true,' cut in Adelheid rapidly. 'This morning, when Maria and I were on our way to History of Magic class, we bumped into him and I dropped my textbook. Of course I bent down to pick it up, but then he said it was okay, he was going to pick it up. I said no, but he insisted. And you know what he did, Atara? He actually _picked it up_!'

'Wow, such a nice guy,' ended Tempestt, grinning broadly.

Draco raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. Then he turned his eyes back on Lilith, who, to his delight, found her frowning in deep thought.

'He did, did he?' she whispered. 'Well, since you so nicely helped my friend, for once have I heard that since the other stories, I'll think about your request.'

'What, you scared?' sneered Draco. Lilith's mouth dropped open slightly.

'Fine. I'll go with you,' she said, eyeing Draco cautiously.

'Ah yes, Atara can never say no to a challenge,' declared Tempestt pompously. 'Wonderful tactic, Malfoy, to get her to go with you like that. I applaud you.'

She and Adelheid clapped vigorously. Lilith continued to stare at Draco, who grinned at her with smug satisfaction.

Atara gave out a long sigh as she dropped onto her four-poster bed, which she had joined to the beds of Dawn and Maria.

'I can't believe it,' she said scornfully. 'I'm going with Draco Malfoy, the one person I detest most in Slytherin. Perfect.'

'Come on, Tar,' smiled Dawn, as she fingered her wand. 'He can't be that bad. How do you even know the stories we've heard of him are true?'

'You see the way he treats people. Especially those who are half-blood. It's disgusting.'

'Well, we _are _Slytherin,' reasoned Maria, throwing herself next to Atara. 'We are, like, the evilest people in the school. Slytherin means power, Atara!'

'I guess I shouldn't judge him. I mean, I don't know him that well, after all. So... what should I wear?' Atara grinned widely.

'Ooh, now the topic's getting interesting!' cried Dawn. But before she could say anything else, Pansy Parkinson burst into the room.

'How _dare_ you go to the ball with _my _date!' she shrieked at Atara. 'How _dare _you lure my dear Draco to your thieving hands!'

'_Lure _him?' said Atara, standing up. 'I didn't lure him, Parkinson. He _asked _me to go with him. I didn't know you two were dating. He didn't mention you at all. My, such drama.'

Dawn and Maria snorted with laughter. Parkinson glared at them.

'If you think you're going to the ball with him, you have never been so wrong in your entire life! I swear, Lilith, I will get you for this!'

With that she stormed out of the dormitory. Atara watched her in fascination.

'To think that such people actually exist,' she muttered. 'Anyway, her threats are so empty. As if she can do anything to me. I want to give her a tasteof _my _medicine for her.'


	6. Serpents on Fire

Chapter 5- The Flying Serpents

The tryouts for Quidditch had actually begun in the beginning of October, but there was to be one last session for Chasers. This was posted on the notice board of the Slytherin common room, and Dawn had eagerly read it over and over again.

'I can't help it!' she cried on the day of the tryouts to Atara, who had scolded her for doing so. 'I'm just so excited! Finally, we can play Quidditch again! I mean, I want to join not just to show off my Firebolt, you know, but because I'm really good at it!'

'I know you're good at it!' replied Atara with a sigh. 'We are _all _good at Quidditch. Maria made sure that Viktor would teach us, remember?'

'Oh yeah, I did,' said Maria absentmindedly. 'The advantages of having a famous Seeker for a cousin...'

'Well, come on then!' yelled Dawn, stomping her foot in impatience. 'We're gonna be late! It's supposed to start at five!'

'Dawn, it's only quarter to four,' groaned Atara, as Dawn grabbed her and Maria's arm, and tugged them towards the stone wall leading out of the common room.

Dawn pushed against the stone with a tiny grunt, and a concealed door slid open. She grinned and pulled Atara and Maria through.

'Ouch, Dawn!' wailed Maria, as her shoulder hit against the stone wall. Dawn ignored her, however, and continued dragging them all the way until they finally reached the Quidditch pitch.

'My, my. How early can you three worms get?' sneered Montague, the captain of the Slytherin team, as they walked up to him.

'We're snakes, Mr. Monty,' drawled Maria. 'Not worms. Worms are people like you. Too slimy to actually be considered as the serpent species.'

Montague's mouth formed a thin line as Maria smirked at him.

'What's up with you?' she asked innocently. 'Surprised that a _girl _insulted you? Montague, the captain of the team, high-and-mighty, slick-talking _worm_, is actually stumped for words?'

'Maria, stop it,' demanded Atara softly. 'I already feel dizzy with your talking and with the pain on my arm that Dawn caused from pulling me so hard.'

Dawn giggled. 'Oops!'

Montague puffed up his chest arrogantly. 'You three are lucky you're good-looking,' he spat. 'Else I wouldn't have bothered looking at you, least of all get you into the team.'

'Oh, you're so sweet,' said Atara sarcastically, rubbing her temple.

'Shut up already!' cried Dawn, pouting. 'I want to try out for the team! Oh wait, where's my broomstick?' She smiled apologetically at Atara and Maria, who glared at her.

As Montague sniggered, Dawn rose her wand and pointed at the castle, bellowing, '_Accio _Firebolts!'

She hummed softly to herself as a swishing sound came echoing through the air. She, Maria and Atara all raised their hands. Montague raised his eyebrows in curiosity, then yelped when he saw three glittering objects zooming towards him. He threw himself onto the ground, looking up just in time to see the three girls catch their Firebolts. He stood up slowly, gazing stupidly at the broomsticks. The many people who were watching in the stands and on the pitch all gave a loud moan of awe.

All three of the Firebolts were a shiny, ebony black. Dawn and Maria's Firebolts had silver lines etched into them, and at their tips was the glistening word 'Firebolt', with the last letter 't' ending in a design of some beautifully decorated animal. Atara's Firebolt had not silver lines, however, but gold. The word 'Firebolt' ended in an obvious carving of a golden serpent.

Atara scanned the crowd suspiciously, as though she was afraid that someone would curse her and steal her Firebolt. But Maria and Dawn glanced around happily, holding up their broomsticks with evident pride.

'Alright then,' said Montague, when he had regained his state of mind, 'let the tryouts begin.'

'Woo!' squealed Dawn excitedly. 'What do we do? What do we do? Show you some moves with the Quaffle? No problem, wizard!'

She grabbed the Quaffle from the chest near Montague's feet and, before anyone could protest, she hopped onto her Firebolt and sped into the air. Maria followed her, yelling and swaying her head in delight. With a sigh, Atara slowly got onto her broom, then shot off towards them.

All those watching from below could only see three blurry shadows zooming around the air like bullets. They could just make out a red ball being thrown from one shadow to another.

'Here you go, Maria!' yelled Dawn, as she hurled the Quaffle to Maria speeding opposite her. Maria shot off towards the three hoops in front of her, grinning widely at the Keeper, who had just taken off into the air to guard them.

'You're riding a Nimbus Two Thousand and One? How depressing! HERE GOES TEN POINTS TO ME!' screamed Maria, as she did a sort of twirl with the broomstick, and she made a swift movement with the arm carrying the Quaffle. _Take this, Viktor Krum! Let's see who's the better one!_

A sharp bell rang, indicating the goal she had just scored. The Keeper stared around him dumbly, completely unaware that the Quaffle had gone through the hoop. In fact, no one except Atara, Dawn and Maria herself had even noticed anything.

'YES!' cried Maria, and pumped a fist into the air. _I'm gonna make Viktor jealous... _she thought smugly. Dawn gave a loud cheer, and went zooming towards the hoops.

'My turn!' she yelled, and she shot through the tallest hoop, as many impressed Slytherins below roared. _I'm going to be the best... _she sang in her mind as she grabbed the falling Quaffle before it reached the ground. She began rapidly circling the Quidditch pitch. Soon she became no more than a hazy gray line as she continued to circle around. Suddenly, she stopped and instantly dove down. Just as she was but a few feet away from crashing into the ground she pulled up the Firebolt. Many gave out a loud sigh of relief.

'Show-off!' yelled a girl of Hufflepuff from the stands. Dawn's face remained set, though she changed her course and headed for the girl instead.

'Dawn, no!' yelled Atara, her eyes wide. Dawn stopped in mid-air, turning to look at Atara. Without a word Dawn sped off towards the three hoops, and lazily threw the Quaffle.

The Keeper gave out an angry cry as the ball just passed his fingers and went through the hoop behind him. The bell clanged again, and Dawn grinned.

'It's not my fault I'm so good,' she said, winking at him and shrugging.

He stared at her, looking quite miffed, and went to retrieve the Quaffle. He flung it into the air with a loud grunt.

This time Atara caught it. She flew to a higher position then stopped.

'Better do something impressive, Tar,' yelled Maria. 'Your boyfriend's watching you!' She pointed down at Malfoy, far below and staring up at the three of them with an interested smile on his face.

Atara glared at Maria. _Honestly, that girl... she wants impressive, does she?_

'Please wait a moment,' she said, then she suddenly burst upwards, and she disappeared from sight.

At first there was silence among the stands, but then a murmur arose. Several people began turning their heads to see where she had gone off. Amidst their chatter came a loud clanging, which could only mean one thing: a goal had been scored.

Atara was nowhere to be seen, but there was the Quaffle, lying in the furious Keeper's hands. Everyone burst into wild applause and at the same time searched the air for Atara.

'Her famous disappearing act!' cried Dawn, breaking into a fit of giggles.

Draco Malfoy glanced at Montague, who gaped at him with evident shock.

'That girl's _amazing_!' he declared. Draco rolled his eyes. 'They're _all _amazing! With them on our team, it'll be a piece of cake to kick those Gryffindor asses! Those girls _are absolutely amazing_...'

'Shouldn't you have known by now?' Draco scoffed. _That really was amazing. How could she have disappeared like that?_

'So, did we pass?' asked someone behind him. Draco whirled around, and to his surprise found Lilith there, holding her Firebolt and gazing at him mildly.

'Where did you come from?' demanded Draco, staring into her sparkling blue eyes.

'Secret,' she said simply. 'So, are we in or not, Montague?'

Draco grinned, quite impressed. 'There's no question about it, right, Montague?' He leant closer to Lilith, who ignored this gesture. She kept her gaze firmly on Montague.

Montague stared at her, his mouth hanging wide open. He jumped violently when Adelheid and Tempestt appeared at his side, both still on their Firebolts.

'Why is your mouth hanging open like a goldfish? Are we in? Are we in?' asked Adelheid eagerly, bouncing slightly on her broom.

'Yes, Mr. Montague, did we make it on the team? Come now, tell us!' prodded Tempestt impatiently.

'We don't have all day,' added Lilith quietly.

'Tell them, Montague,' said Draco.

'Come on, tell us!'

'What is it?'

'Don't tell me what we did was in vain...'

'Yes, YES, you three made it as Chasers!' yelled Montague, stomping his foot in agitation.

Draco grinned broadly, watching Lilith's mouth form a small smile. Meanwhile, Tempestt and Adelheid were whooping triumphantly, giving each other high-fives in delight. Montague gave out a large sigh of relief. Then suddenly, angry footsteps approached quickly, and Pansy came into sight.

'Oh great...' Draco muttered. _Here she is again. Won't she ever leave me alone? _

'She's still in the school?' Draco heard Lilith mumble to herself. He sniggered quietly.

Pansy gave out an ear-piercing scream. 'YOU!' she yelled, pointing a finger at Montague, who raised his hands in mock surrender.

'How could you make these three Chasers, you _bastard_!' she bellowed, her face twisted in rage. Draco impulsively stepped back, seeing Lilith do the same. Adelheid and Tempestt backed away on their broomsticks.

'What do you mean, Parkinson?' asked Montague calmly.

'You know what I'm talking about!' screamed Pansy. 'Damn you, Montague, what the hell is up with you, did you choose them just for their_ looks _or WHAT? They're the first ones to try out among many others, and you _bastard_ already choose them as your Chasers?'

'Well, we _are _prettier than you are,' cut in Adelheid in a small voice. Pansy glared at her dangerously. 'And also, we saw you practicing for the tryouts, and you didn't look quite good.'

'Yeah,' agreed Temepstt, nodding her head. 'I mean, no offense or anything, but you look like some sort of mutilated pug on a hovering twig.'

Draco stared at the Tempestt in disbelief. No one had ever insulted Pansy this much and he knew her reaction to an insult. Greatly amused, he folded his arms and watched Pansy literally shake with anger.

'_YOU BIT-_' she began, but she was cut off as Lilith suddenly jumped into her way. 'What the hell do _you _want, Miss Perfect?'

'Please don't fight,' said Lilith, her soft voice rising slightly. 'It's bad enough that we're in public.'

Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise. _So she's softhearted, is she? She finally reveals something of herself..._

'_Don't fight?_' repeated Pansy, her eyes so wide that they seemed in danger of coming out of their sockets. 'You don't want to _fight?_ We'll see, Atara Lilith. I still have a score to settle with you. I'll make sure you'll PAY for everything you've done and for everything you are!'

She screamed again, and turned on her heels, stomping off to the castle. The five of them remained silent for some time. In fact, Draco noticed, everyone watching from the stands was quiet. They had obviously heard everything that had been said.

'You know,' Draco finally said, 'we'd be better off if we had you three on the team. I've never seen such talent before.'

Lilith turned to face him. She examined him for a moment, and untied her ponytail. Draco couldn't help but admire the way her hair fell about her shoulders. _What's happening to me? _he wondered wildly.

'See you later,' she said quietly, and she began walking off. Adelheid flew to her side and followed her.

'Thanks for the fun, guys,' cried Tempestt, before she kicked off on her broom and headed towards the castle.

'What an amazing afternoon,' mumbled Montague.

'You said it,' replied Draco, watching Lilith walk away, her hair bouncing with the vermilion light of the setting sun.


	7. Rage and Preparations

_I do apologize that this chapter came late. I have been extremely busy, so thank you for the wait. I hope that you will be just as patient for the next chapter; believe me, it contains more drama, romance, and laughter. And only now do I regret, so listen before I forget. To all those who sent reviews to me, I really thank you that you like this story. And now, let us continue where we left off, as we see the lives of the three strange ones..._

Chapter 6- Rage and Preparations

Atara stared at the costumes through the dusty windows of _Dame de la Damned. _She grinned, staring at the costume she wanted to try on. She entered the dark store and a bell clang dully somewhere, echoing through the store eerily. She glanced back at the cracked door, which could hardly show the half-empty street of Hogsmeade outside.

'Yes, is someone there?' croaked a female voice. A wizened witch wearing a dirty shawl around her shoulders and a torn robe emerged from the darkness. She peered at Atara carefully.

'I would like to buy that costume over there,' said Atara quietly, afraid that if she spoke to loudly everything would collapse into dust. She pointed to the costume directly behind the old witch, who smiled at her with a mouth full of broken teeth.

'That's a fine choice, Miss,' whispered the witch, bowing her white head. 'Best quality of satin, exported from France. Do you wish to try it on?'

Atara took a step forward. 'Of course.' _Let's see Malfoy's expression when he sees me in this dress... He'd die with delight..._

Dawn examined Dame de la Damnedwith interest. 'Why'd Atara go into that creepy store?' she asked aloud.

She cradled the brown package containing her brand new princess costume, which she had purchased from _Magical Dresses Inc._ She giggled, imagining herself at the Halloween ball, dancing with... Dawn tilted her head upward in thought. She didn't have anyone to go with yet. Though many had already asked her, she had pointedly refused each of them.

'Nobody in the school is smart enough for me!' she wailed to no one in particular. 'Still, so many are asking me! I'm so happy... but it's not much to ask really. All I want is a straight-Outstanding student to be my date! Is that too hard?'

She began walking down the damp street, clutching the package tightly. Who could she go with? With the ball being just a fortnight away... Too enraptured in her thoughts, she didn't notice the hard wall she bumped into until she looked up. Marcus Flint stared down at her with a surprised expression. Then he gave her a smug grin.

'What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?' he asked casually. He licked his cracked lips. Dawn wrinkled her nose in disgust. _Gross..._

'Oh I don't know, Mr. Flint,' she replied innocently, widening her eyes as far as she could, 'but it's not a crime to wander around by myself now is it?'

Flint reached out to touch her head, but she took a large step backwards.

'I just fixed my hair,' she said icily. _Eee... _ 'Sorry, but I have to go now. I have lots of things to do before the Halloween ball comes.'

'By the way,' drawled Flint, as though he hadn't heard a word she said, 'speaking of the ball, would you like to go with me? It's okay with Millicent, she won't mind if a third person joins...'

Dawn gave a small chuckle, slowly drawing out her wand. 'Marcus Flint is asking me to the ball? And you consider me as _second best_? I've never been so insulted.' She narrowed her eyes and quickly thought _Reducto!_

Immediately Flint was sent flying backwards, and he slammed into a brick wall with a groan. He dropped to the ground, unconscious. Dawn walked up to him, and pocketed her wand.

'I'm sorry, did my reply come out wrong?' she asked, bending down. 'I haven't even perfected the Thought spell yet. I'll work on it! Say, are you sleeping or not?'

Flint's eyes remained closed. Satisfied, Dawn giggled, adjusted her sleeve and began skipping towards Honeydukes.

As soon she reached the pub, she swung open the door, only to hit someone on the other side.

'Oh, oh, I am _so_ sorry!' she cried, and let out a gasp. She had hit the boy, _that boy_, from Gryffindor. He rubbed his nose, his auburn hair scattered about his forehead. Dawn immediately formed the widest, most innocent smile she could muster. _He's a lot cuter up close...finally, I find someone worth looking at Hogwarts... besides Harry Potter._

'Hey, you're that guy in my Care of Magical Creatures class, and also Charms class, right?' she asked eagerly, forgetting the fact that she had just smashed his nose.

'Um, yes, I am,' replied the boy uncertainly. 'You're Dawn... Adelheid?'

Dawn nodded her head. Much to her delight, the boy blushed.

'I- I, uh, am Cole S- Sephton,' said the boy. 'You're really intelligent, Adelheid. Um, I mean, I've seen you _be_, uh, intelligent in class.'

Dawn bit her lip to keep herself from shouting back an insult. 'Oh, you can call me Dawn. I really don't get that whole surname-calling thing anyway. Is it okay if I call you Cole? Thanks, anyway, oh yes, I'm sorry I hit you just now.'

Cole stared at her with a mixture of awe and curiosity. His nose was a pale red from his rubbing. 'No, it's okay, really. Wait a minute, why are you even talking to me?' He stepped back in alarm.

'Why shouldn't I?' asked Dawn, tilting her head sideways. 'I'm only a human witch, I have rights to do whatever I please. Are you feeling scared because I'm in Slytherin or what? Or are you scared of _me_?'

Cole shook his head vigorously. 'I'm not s- scared. It's just that... well, Slytherins and Gryffindors don't get along like... like friends. I was just wondering that's all.'

Dawn giggled. 'Say, what kind of grades do you get? I mean, for school, in general?'

Cole gazed at her in confusion. 'What kind of... grades? Well, I'm not as smart as you, that's for sure, but at least I get a few Acceptables, and some Exceeds Expectations...'

'That'll do!' cried Dawn happily. 'Now you're officially taking me to the Halloween ball!'

Cole blinked slowly, obviously bewildered. 'Oh... oh, alright... I think...'

'Meet you in the Entrance Hall, at exactly seven o'clock sharp, okay? See you then!'

Dawn skipped out of Honeydukes, singing and smiling with satisfaction. _I finally have a date..._

'Where could that girl have gone?' muttered Maria to herself.

She leaned against the window of _Dame de la Damned_, then straightened when she heard it creak.

'Stupid old window... Where's Atara? She's taking such a long time...'

She groaned with impatience. _Oh yes, I forgot. I don't have anyone to go with yet. Why can't Hogwarts have real men like Durmstrang?_

She gazed around the streets of Hogsmeade, watching each person carefully. Suddenly, she saw Harry Potter come out of Zonko's, together with a red-haired boy and that not-so-know-it-all Granger. Maria examined Potter. He seemed well built, and he wasn't bad-looking either. Strange how she hadn't noticed him before.

_Interesting_, she thought. _He'd be perfect for a date. He's even more famous than Krum could ever be. If I could get him to be my boyfriend..._

'Hey Maria!' called out a distant voice. Maria turned and glared at Atara.

'Where have you been? You've been in that shop for _ages! _Honestly, what was the costume you bought that was so special?'

Atara flashed her a mysterious smile. 'You'll see before the ball.'

Maria rolled her eyes. 'That's just great. You won't tell me what you're gonna wear, typical of you, Miss Secretive, and plus, I don't have a date!'

'What, no man satisfies you here?' asked Atara slyly. Maria's head slumped in reply.

'Sadly, yes. Every single guy has asked me, but all of them have achieved a rating of minus hundred on my scale of one to ten! There _was _this half-Chinese half-British guy who managed to get a rating of 2, but that was it! _But_, I do have my eyes settled on Harry Potter.'

Atara raised her eyebrows. 'Harry Potter? Interesting choice. Think you can get him?'

Maria grinned, watching Potter walk towards Honeydukes, laughing with his two strange friends. 'Of course.'

'He's in for a big surprise,' laughed Atara. 'By the way, what are _you _wearing for the Halloween ball?'

'Muggle clothes.'

Atara gazed at Maria with an amused expression on her face. 'You're going as a Muggle? That's... original. But I don't think the other Slytherin people are gonna like it. You _do _know that they hate Muggles.'

'That's why I'm wearing it,' replied Maria smugly. 'Besides, people already consider me high superiority. In fact, they'll probably think that I look _good_ as a Muggle! In any case I don't care whatsoever what people think. I'm going Muggle whether they like it or not. And plus it's cheaper.'

'Ah yes, just like you to defy other people's beliefs.' Atara grinned and the two of them began walking in search of Dawn.

'You know what,' continued Maria, taking out her wand and lazily waving it about, 'I don't even know why I'm in Slytherin in the first place. I wanted to be in Ravenclaw!'

'Ravenclaw?'

'Yeah! I mean, I'm smart enough to be one, and I'm not so evil as to be in Slytherin. I'm not even evil. I'm _misunderstood_. Something's wrong with this world. It's like someone invisible person is writing my entire life story and completely taking advantage of it, giving things I don't want! Maybe that's why I get the strange feeling that every time I talk, my words feel somehow rehearsed... as if they're not my words...'

Atara shook her head in amusement. '_Okay_, Maria... maybe it's just some stage you're going through. Just try and be happy with what you have.'

Maria threw up her hands, accidentally setting off sparks from the tip of her wand. 'Weren't you even _listening_? I said I _wasn't _happy with what's being given to me!'

'I said _try _and be happy.'

Maria frowned, then looked up as if a thought struck her. 'Say, ever wondered what happened to the Chasers we replaced on the Slytherin Quidditch team?'

'I don't know,' answered Atara with a shrug. 'I never thought about that. I guess they were thrown off the minute we were chosen. Now I feel sorry for them! And what about all the other people who wanted to try out? They didn't even get a chance to show their moves!'

'You're too soft to be in Slytherin yourself, Atara,' said Maria. 'Besides, we're too good as Chasers that's why. No one can beat us! We outrank anyone and everyone!'

She stopped in her tracks to look at Zonko's. She could just see two red-haired twins battling with the shopkeeper, probably for a bargain. _Hogwarts will never regret the day I came. I think it's time I start taking things for myself. I'll get Potter later. Now, where's that Chinese guy?_

Draco drummed his fingers on the arm of the couch in the Slytherin common room, his forehead creased in thought.

_I wonder what will happen in the Halloween ball_, he thought with a frown. A vivid image of Lilith came into his mind, and his heart gave an unexpected leap. Draco straightened in surprise.

'Interesting. It's been a long time a girl has made me feel like this,' he muttered, his mouth forming a sly grin. 'Pansy was amusing for a while, but then she never really was my type.'

He stood up lazily, stretching his arms above his head. Suddenly, he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he resisted the urge to groan when he saw it was Pansy.

'Hi Draco...' she crooned. She took a step forward and dared herself to move her face closer to his. He rolled his eyes and backed away slowly.

'Hello,' he said pleasantly. _Great, I'm doomed to have her follow me for the rest of my life. Maybe she's actually a ghost... she died centuries ago and she's gone back to haunt me..._

'Draco, here's your costume! I finished making it!' said Pansy, her voice going childish again. Draco held out his hand impatiently. Pansy gave him a folded black cloth that she had been hiding behind her back.

'Good,' said Draco, smirking. _It _better_ be good... What a sucker she is. One of the advantages of having her as a 'girlfriend' is that she'd do anything for me..._

'Draco, what are you thinking about?' asked Pansy, giggling loudly. He hated it when she giggled.

'Just wondering if you actually made the costume _look _like a Dementor,' replied Draco casually, letting the black cloth unfold between his fingers.

'Ooh, you're going as a _Dementor?_' squealed Pansy in excitement. Much to Draco's annoyance, she drew closer to him.

'Stupid woman, I told you I was going to,' spat Draco, his temper rising. He examined the hooded, torn robe carefully. 'Well, it's not perfect, but it'll have to do.'

'I'm so sorry, Draco!' cried Pansy, clutching his arm tightly. Draco resisted the urge to curse her away. 'I'm sorry it's not perfect! I'm sorry-'

'That you're a complete idiot?' said a voice behind Draco. He turned his head, seeing Tempestt, Adelheid, and –he raised an eyebrow- Lilith. Tempestt, who had just spoken, folded her arms calmly. Meanwhile, Pansy strode forward and roughly pulled Draco behind her.

'Hey, watch it!' snapped Draco, but Pansy ignored him.

'What do you three want?' she demanded between clenched teeth, and whipped out her wand. 'No one asked for _your _opinion!'

'Like anyone ever does, Parkinson,' said Lilith quietly. Her eyes fell on Draco, then travelled down to the Dementor costume. Draco threw it behind him with a shrug. _I'm gonna fix that stupid costume myself. No way is she gonna see in a thing that makes me look like a gothic table cloth._

Pansy began making strange growling noises. Draco, disgusted, backed away from her. Tempestt and Adelheid burst into laughter.

'You look like a mutilated pug, now you sound like one too!' screamed Tempestt.

'Honestly, Parkinson, how crude could you possibly get?' retorted Lilith quietly. Pansy's shoulders shook with rage.

_Ah, another fight approaches_, thought Draco, smirking and sitting himself down on an armchair.

'STUPEFY!' roared Pansy, violently waving her wand at Lilith's face. Much to Draco's amusement, Lilith avoided the spell with a simple tilt of her head.

'Is that the best you can do?' whispered Lilith. She slowly took out her wand, and pointed it at Pansy's chest.

'And she says we can't hurt people,' Draco heard Tempestt mutter to Adelheid, who nodded in agreement. He chuckled, but Pansy, seeming that she had heard Tempestt too, gave out an ear-piercing wail. Her eyes flared with hatred at Lilith, who remained surprisingly calm.

Suddenly Pansy was flung backwards, and she toppled over the velvet couch, narrowly missing Draco. He stared in confusion at Lilith, who hadn't uttered a single word. She noticed Draco's puzzled expression.

'Thought spell,' she said flatly. 'Pansy should have been on her guard. Isn't that what prefects do?'

'We haven't been _taught_ Thought spells yet...' mumbled Draco in awe. _Interesting combination... mysterious _and _dangerous... _

Tempestt and Adelheid burst into applause. 'Hey, I did the same thing with Marcus Flint yesterday!' cried Adelheid. Lilith glared at her and shook her head in exasperation. Draco stood up, turned around and peered over the couch to look at Pansy. She was unconscious, and there was a nasty bruise on her forehead.

'You gave her a bruise. Now she'll be happy to know that she'll be humiliated at the ball tomorrow.'

Lilith pocketed her wand carefully. 'Oh yes, that reminds me, I'll meet you in front at the stairs leading into the Entrance Hall at seven. You don't have to do prefect duties, do you?'

Draco shook his head and smirked. 'Not to worry. Everyone listens to me anyway, so it makes the job easier. Oh yes, Tempestt and Adelheid, who are you going with?'

'It's a surprise!' exclaimed Adelheid excitedly.

Tempestt raised her eyebrows. 'You'll find out tomorrow. Why do you even want to know? You're going with Atara anyway, so what, she's not satisfying enough for you?'

Lilith whirled around and glared at Tempestt, who shrugged. 'What?'

'If you must know, Tempestt,' replied Draco, shaking his head in amusement, 'I was merely curious. And to answer your question, Lilith's agreement to go with me is already satisfying enough.'

Lilith rolled her eyes, but gave him a half-smile. Draco bowed politely, then turned towards the boys' dormitory, smiling in satisfaction.

_She's mine._


	8. The Halloween Ball

_The climax of the story, the perfect summit of the tale. Thank you for your patience, for in this chapter I lift some of the veil, that which shelters Atara's mystery. To all those who reviewed, thank you, and I hope you find this one interesting._

oOo

Chapter 7- The Halloween Ball

Draco hummed quietly to himself, watching people dressed in strange costumes pass by him. He had left the common room quarter to seven, and he must have been waiting for twenty minutes at least. He wondered when Lilith was coming, and thought, with a smug grin, _what is she wearing?_

He lifted up the thin hood of his costume and put it over his head. He marveled at seeing that it fell over his forehead just so much that his eyes seemed covered, though he could see quite clearly. _Too bad I can't do a permanent levitation spell on this robe_, he thought. _That would really make me look like a Dementor. Interesting if I could float down on Potter and curse him without him knowing..._

He examined the Entrance Hall carefully. Giant pumpkins were placed here and there, strewn with thick strands of ivy. The staircase had been draped with real dusty webs, and once in a while a large spider would scuttle around them, much to the horror of many female students.

Suddenly Draco saw Granger come into sight. He snickered loudly, as he inspected her supposedly 'ghostly' appearance. She was wearing a white lace dress, and she had painted her skin a deathly white. She had let her hair down, and her face had several bruises here and there which looked obviously like make-up. She had even bewitched herself to give out a radiant white glow. Not to his surprise, she didn't seem to have any partner.

'I don't think a Mudblood impersonating a ghost is very popular, Granger,' he sneered at her. 'But in any case, you _are_ complimenting the fact that you'd do well being dead!'

She chose to ignore him, though, and she continued her way towards the Great Hall.

Still chuckling, Draco reached out and touched one of the webs nearby, then heard someone exhale softly behind him. _There she is. _He grinned and turned around, and his mouth dropped open in surprise.

Lilith was wearing a beautiful, low-neck gown of a deep red that just barely touched the ground. The sleeves were slightly ruffled, and they ended in a golden ring that she wore around her index fingers. A black cape, fastened around her bare chest with a sparkling ruby brooch, fell about her shoulders gracefully. Her hair was tied with a braid into a ponytail, and she had curled the ends so that it fell lusciously about her neck. A few strands hung down her pale cheeks, and her mouth was painted a blood-red colour, giving her appearance a more gothic effect.

Draco was at a loss for words, but regained his posture with a small cough. He lifted his hood back, took Lilith's hand and slowly kissed it. He looked up at her, but her expression was unreadable.

'You look...' Draco frowned, his mind racing for the proper word, '...stunning.'

Lilith raised her eyebrows in mild surprise. 'Oh,' she said softly, her eyes seeming bluer against her white face. 'Thank you. You look... interesting. Are you a Dementor?'

As she spoke, Draco noticed sharp fangs protruding slightly from her upper lip. 'Yes, I'm supposed to be a Dementor, but I don't think it's any good. If I may ask, are you a vampire?'

Lilith gave him a small smile. 'Yes,' she said simply.

'Well then, shall we go?' Draco lifted up her hand. She nodded, and the two of them began walking towards the oak doors of the Great Hall.

When they entered, they were met by loud haunting music. Draco looked around, quite impressed with the Hall's appearance. Black, silk curtains hung from the gigantic windows, which glittered every now and then with the soft flickering light of the floating candles above. Dusty suits of armor stood against the walls, and some even had real skeletons draped around them. The bats that had been present in the Halloween feasts were now fluttering below the enchanted ceiling, which was at the moment portraying a mist-covered starry night. As like the Yule Ball in the previous year, the four house tables had been removed, replaced by numerous circular tables, seating about six people, each lit with a Jack-o-lantern and covered with a sleek black cloth. These tables had been placed near the walls, though, leaving a vast space in the middle, where a stand was placed, upon which stood hairy figures carrying instruments who Draco realized with a groan were The Weird Sisters. They were playing a slow, mournful tune that reminded Draco as the theme song of a funeral. He turned to look at Lilith, who was staring at the surrounding with awe, and he grinned with satisfaction.

There were several people already seated at the tables, each chatting animatedly and complimenting on each other's costumes. Draco rolled his eyes at Longbottom, who was wearing a furry costume of a rabbit and talking to an embarrassed-looking girl in a ballerina outfit. At the far end of the Hall Draco could see the teachers' table, which had also been covered with a black cloth, but there were tall candlesticks upon them instead. The entire staff was there, except for Professor Dumbledore. They were the only ones not wearing any particular costume.

'The teachers suggested this ball, yet they make no attempt to actually dress up and be a part of it. They probably wanted to make fools out of us,' Draco whispered to Lilith, who chuckled softly.

They walked up to one of the circular tables and sat down. There were orange, gilded menus laid neatly in between the cutlery, and in front of each one stood an orange napkin folded into a bat. Lilith picked up one and examined it with interest.

'You know, Durmstrang never had events like these,' she said, tilting her head slightly.

Draco leaned back against the black velvet chair. 'By the way, were you there last year? I mean, for the Triwizard Tournament?' he asked after a moment's thought.

Lilith shook her head. 'No. The three of us, Maria, Dawn and I were unable to. We had... problems to sort out. More like a family crisis. See, the two of them are distant cousins of mine, but Maria wanted to attend the Tournament more than anything, because she's a blood relative of Viktor Krum.'

Draco stared at her in shock. 'She's related to _Krum? _No wonder you're all good at flying...'

Moments later they were joined by Montague, dressed in a pirate costume, together with a surly-faced girl whose surname Draco knew as Cadwell, dressed as something he couldn't quite figure out.

The Hall became slowly crowded as people began entering. Some people even began dancing in the middle to the music of The Weird Sisters, which had changed yet again to an even slower tune. Suddenly, Draco spotted Potter, wearing –he snorted in disgust- Muggle clothes.

'HEY SCARHEAD!' yelled Draco, when Potter was near enough, 'What are you wearing? Miss your Muggle folks, do you? Trying to please all the Mudbloods, are you?'

He laughed, avoiding Lilith's contemptuous stare, with Montage sniggering next to him. Potter turned slowly, and Draco noticed that Cho Chang was holding his arm. He smirked at her traditional Chinese costume.

'Leave him alone, Malfoy!' she said angrily. Potter glanced at her gratefully.

'Oh, I see you've got yourself yet _another _girlfriend, Potter,' sneered Draco. 'What, Weasley wasn't enough for you? Not satisfied with everyone drooling at your feet? Why didn't you invite Weasley to the ball? Oh, I see, you can't bear breaking her heart!'

He laughed even harder when he saw Chang give Potter a confused stare, then turn away from him. Potter glared at Malfoy, then ran after her. Draco, shoulders still shaking with laughter, faced Lilith. He stopped chortling when he saw her gazing at him with an expression of obvious hatred, and he stood up.

'Care to talk about your anger over a little dance?' He held out his hand to her.

Lilith's eyes remained fixed on his own. She didn't say anything, but took his hand and stood up slowly. Draco grinned, and he led her to the midst of several dancing couples, ignoring the envious glares shot at him from many male students. He held her right hand tightly, and placed his other hand around her slim waist. With her left hand she held up the hem of her satin dress, and Draco began to move his feet slowly.

'So, tell me what's eating your pretty head,' he whispered with a smug grin, leaning his face closer to hers.

'I just hate the way you treat certain people, Malfoy,' Lilith answered angrily. 'You just can't the resist the opportunity to criticize someone and pick fights. One of the reasons I didn't want to go with you in the first place.'

'Then why did you?' asked Draco calmly.

Lilith opened her mouth, but no words came. Draco gazed at her expectantly, and he grinned more broadly on seeing her bite her red lips.

'I...' she began, then paused. 'I guess I just wanted to see if you were a good person or not, as you said _you're not all bad_. Turns out I was wrong...'

'But I'm not so bad, and it's not my fault Potter goes and wears filthy Muggle clothes-'

'That's what I hate about you!' snapped Lilith. 'I hate your discrimination towards Muggles and Muggle-borns! We're all humans after all. It's like you have a permanent stereotype on Muggles, thinking that all of them are mere dirt on your shoes!'

Draco stared at her in surprise. 'How in the world did you get into Slytherin with that attitude?' he asked with amusement.

'I don't know,' she muttered. She gazed down at the Prefect badge Draco had pinned to his chest. Then she mumbled something out of the corners of her mouth that sounded oddly like 'secret'.

Draco shrugged, and the two of them danced in silence.

oOo

Atara's heart thudded faster than she expected. _This is stupid_, she thought aloud in her mind, looking up into Malfoy's neutral eyes. _This is so stupid. I can't believe I'm actually starting to like him enough as to notice my own heartbeat! And what's with that question of me being in Slytherin? It's not like I can just tell him why... I mustn't tell him_...

She swallowed hard, trying to empty her head of any thoughts. She needn't have bothered to, though, for at that moment a tall, hard-featured boy came striding up to her, and her mind was distracted completely. He was wearing a Dementor costume as well, only it was more neatly trimmed than Malfoy's ragged one.

'May I cut in?' he drawled. Atara stared at him in curiosity, and noticed Malfoy glare at him.

'Flint, she's dancing with _me_,' said Malfoy coolly.

The boy called Flint gave out a sarcastic groan. 'Oh, I'm so sorry, Malfoy. You never told me you were such a charmer with the ladies. Why don't you ju-'

Atara pushed Malfoy away from her just in time for Flint to go flying in between them. He landed with a painful bump onto the stone ground a few feet away.

'What-' began Malfoy, staring at Flint, sprawled with his face down.

Atara breathed in heavily, silently thanking her senses. Then she heard loud giggles, and she turned angrily.

'Dammit, Dawn! Maria!' she moaned, glaring at the two laughing girls to the side of her facing Flint. They hastily pocketed the wands they had obviously used to curse him.

'You know,' said Dawn in mock seriousness, 'Flint has an awful way of running into us all the time. It's not good for his health.'

The music stopped, and everyone began looking at the sudden commotion. Atara folded her arms in frustration.'Why must you always take pleasure in throwing people into the air for no particular reason? Honestly you two, why did you just do that?'

Maria gave her a small shrug. She, like Harry, was wearing Muggle clothing: a plain black shirt and faded jeans. She had let her hair loose, and some of it was dusted with orange glitter. She was holding the arm of a person hidden inside a shiny suit of armor. 'It's not our fault he's such a disgusting weirdo!'

'Shouldn't you be thanking us for getting rid of this pervert?' demanded Dawn, placing her hands on her hips in a childish manner. Just as Atara had expected, she was wearing a costume that greatly resembled a princess of Old England. Her dress was ocean-blue velvet and highly decorated with intricate golden designs. A bejeweled tiara was placed in her loosely curled hair. She nodded at a boy next to her, whom Atara didn't know and who was wearing a similar costume of that of a prince. 'He _is _a pervert, you know,' Dawn continued. 'He asked every girl he finds pretty in the whole school to dance with him, and those who said yes, managed to get themselves a certain touch in certain places... you know! Anyway, he is also a little rude... You see him bully poor innocent people, but my _goodness_, he is worse when he eats! I mean, yesterday I saw him gulp down an entire turkey and some food was all dribbling...'

'Okay Dawn!' cut in Atara hastily. Malfoy sniggered loudly as Flint got up with a red face.

'WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?' he bellowed, glaring at the four of them. Then his eyes travelled to somewhere behind Atara, who felt a hard tap on her shoulders. Atara whirled around and immediately ducked, barely missing Pansy Parkinson's slap.

'I HATE YOU!' screamed Parkinson, shaking her head in fury. The bruise on her forehead Atara had given her was completely gone. Much to her disgust Parkinson was wearing a black and white tight-fitting cat costume that revealed too much of her chest. A long tail and small cat ears made the whole appearance look incredibly obscene. Several people surrounding them began whistling loudly.

'Hey!' said Dawn indignantly. 'Your costume looks like my cat! That's an insult to my cat! That's even worse than Ron Weasley dressing up as Viktor Krum, and _that _was utter blasphemy!'

'Wow, Parkinson,' said Atara, frowning at her. 'I didn't think you could be this... desperate.' Then she noticed a few of the teachers getting up from their table to see what was happening. 'Good thing you didn't hit me, though, or you would have been facing detention. The teachers are coming this way.'

Parkinson's eyes reduced to slits. She fingered the Prefect badge she had hung from a chain around her neck. 'Thank your perfect stars that I have a reputation to maintain,' she snarled.

She flung her head around dramatically and walked off to a table far away. Flint glared at Atara, then followed with a loud 'humph!'

'What _reputation_? As if she has one! That is one strange girl...' moaned Maria dramatically. The knight next to her nodded in agreement, his helmet rattling noisily.

'Let's eat already!' cried Dawn, lifting up her dress and running towards a table with her prince partner. 'Come on you guys! Atara, better let me remove those sharp teeth before you eat your mouth instead of your food!' She laughed loudly. Maria and her knight ran after them. Atara watched them go and gave out a long sigh.

'You seem tired,' said a quiet voice in her ear. She felt warm breath on her neck, and she turned around to find Draco's face very close to hers. He smiled slowly. Atara felt her heartbeat quicken again.

'Come on, let's go eat.' Draco gently placed a hand on her shoulders. Atara couldn't help smiling, and the two of them went towards their seats, and they spent much of their dinner contradicting Dumbledore's sudden appearance as a skeleton in a flowing bathrobe.

oOo

The front lawn directly facing the doors of the Entrance Hall had been decorated with simple numerous candles placed along the stone paths, and fairy lights twinkled in the rosebushes that followed. The various statues that stood here and there had been polished to a smooth appearance. The whole illumination of the garden gave a serene, yet eerie atmosphere. Other than that, besides the soft music coming from inside the Great Hall, the sounds of crickets and other night creatures filled the cool evening air, and even pouring water was heard. The sky was no longer misty; countless stars shone brightly along with the white light of the small moon. Draco took no notice of these things, however. He didn't even bother to realize that no one else was in sight except for the both of them.

He stole a glance at Lilith, who was breathing in the fresh air deeply. He was vaguely aware of the fact that they were alone, the first time he had ever seen her without her two annoying friends.

'This is so beautiful...' whispered Lilith, gazing at a statue of a unicorn nearby.

Draco's eyes watched the half moss-covered stone they were walking upon as they turned to a leafy archway. They entered a beautiful patio of some sort, where some stone benches were placed in between more rose bushes. A small marble podium stood at the center. They sat down on one of the benches.

'You know, Malfoy,' said Lilith softly, facing him with a small smile, 'you really aren't bad at all.'

Draco looked up at her, fascinated for a split-second by her piercing blue eyes. 'Told you so.'

She chuckled, then tilted her head to stare at the stars overhead. Her sleek hair fell back with a small bounce. Unexpectedly, Draco suddenly felt warmth rush through his body. He gazed at her carefully, her hair, her slim arms, and the folds of her dress. _I want you... _he thought, and moved slightly nearer to her.

She looked back at him, watching his movement. Draco stared at her for a moment, then decided to tell her, not caring about her reply.

'Lilith,' he began, turning his body to face her directly, 'listen. I want you. I find you very attractive and, let's just say, I want you to be mine.'

Her face remained unchanged. Not even her eyes revealed any expression, and Draco wondered if she had even heard him. It didn't matter; he couldn't fight back the urge anymore. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.

The feeling was incredible. He suddenly felt light-headed, though he was surprised to find that she didn't resist. He savored the touch and taste of her soft lips. He decided to be a little bolder, and he snaked his hand around her waist and pulled her closer to him until their bodies touched. She returned his embrace with the same ardor. Delighted, he increased the pressure of his touch.

The kiss seemed to go on forever. It was a wonder how Draco could feel just the touch of her as a whole; the bench and the entire surrounding had disappeared from his mind completely. Finally, he pulled back, out of breath, his heart pounding madly. He stared into her eyes, which now looked slightly wild. Her cheeks were flushed a bright pink.

'I...' he began, but he was interrupted by a drop of water falling on his head. Another drop followed, and another. He looked up, and groaned at seeing dark clouds above them.

'Come on! The castle's too far for us to reach there in time.' he said, then grasped Lilith's hand and the two of them rushed towards the marble podium, getting under its roof just as rain came pelting down. Draco shook the water drops off his shoulders and head, and Lilith did the same.

'I've never been caught in the rain before,' she said in amusement, breathing hard. She looked at Draco, who could only watch her mouth, still captivated by the kiss. She seemed to be thinking along the same lines; she brought a finger to her lips and kept it there, as if thinking about the sensation.

Draco couldn't hold back any longer. He strode forward and, cupping a hand around her neck, kissed her once more.

In their bliss neither of them noticed that someone was observing them.

oOo

Pansy watched them kiss from behind a wet, thorny rosebush, feeling all the hatred and anger she had ever had in her entire life. She didn't care that she was getting soaked, she didn't care she was freezing to the bone in her thin costume. All she wanted was for that kiss to end.

'I hate you...' she snarled, staring through the pouring rain at _her._ That girl who had her arms all over her dear Draco. _I swear I'll get you for this. I swear on my life you will pay. You think you're everything, don't you. You think you can have everything your little perfect hands can reach. Draco won't be yours forever. I'll make sure he won't ever stay with you! _

In her rage, Pansy stomped her foot on the wet ground, splashing more water into the air. She felt like screaming, but she didn't want to be discovered just yet. She forced herself to look up at the pair again.

Suddenly she saw, even though her sight was slightly blurred by the rain, Lilith open her eyes and stare right at her. Much to her disgust and horror, Lilith continued kissing Draco, but her eyes remained locked on Pansy.

Right then Pansy heard a small voice in her head which she distinctively knew wasn't hers:

_He's mine, Parkinson._

Surprised and a little terrified, Pansy forgot her anger and she bolted into the rain towards the castle.


	9. In Flight and Pain

_I wish to apologize once again for the delay, but much schoolwork has unfortunately come my way. But here it is, another chapter, finally delivered. My sincere thanks to reviews sent. Not long now before Atara's secret is completely uncovered. By the way, a word of caution to those who read this story, I am changing the summary but do not think much of it. It's just a summary._

Chapter 8- In Flight and Pain

The news that Draco Malfoy was now the official boyfriend of Atara Lilith from Durmstrang spread through the entire student body faster than anything ever mentioned about Harry Potter. Different thoughts passed through the minds of people as soon as the news reached their ears, but all summarized the same question: _how did that happen? _The two of them were continuously attacked with numerous interrogations everyday, and although Malfoy seemed to be enjoying the attention, Atara remained stubbornly silent to their questions, evidently oblivious to the fact that she would never be left in peace by anyone.

But the mystery of their relationship wasn't the only topic the students were interested in: the first Quidditch match of the season was scheduled a few days after the Halloween Ball, in which Slytherin fought against Gryffindor. The Quidditch House Cup was to be held this academic year as well, so there was an evident sense of excitement in the atmosphere, and tension among the Slytherin team.

'Okay, men, we all got that?' said Montague gruffly, glaring at the rest of the Quidditch players around him. When he received a wave of nods, he slammed a fist into the chalkboard behind him, resulting in the formations of the players he had just drawn disappearing in a puff of white powder.

'The only problem I have, chief, is that we're _women_, not men,' piped up Dawn, leaning her chin on the tip of her freshly polished Firebolt. 'I mean, I understand that as a whole, the term 'men' means all people, both women and men. You know what's weird? There's a word 'mankind' but there's no such thing as _womankind. _I'm just saying, only FYI, you know...'

There was silence for a few moments, then rest of the team broke out in reaction. Atara and Maria nodded in agreement to Dawn's statement, Crabbe and Goyle, the two Beaters, were clutching their large bellies with a stupid grin on their faces, and the Seeker Miles Bletchley was giving out a sort of grunt which could only be classified as a laugh considering that he had a broad grin on his hard-featured face. Montage, however, merely raised an eyebrow.

'Oh yes, captain,' said Atara, after Bletchley's grunts had subsided, 'I have a question. Can I just add... to those formations you just erased?'

'No way,' snapped Montague, avoiding her gaze. 'My plans are good enough and you will stick to my plans!'

'Dude, calm down!' said Maria lazily. 'What's with the sudden outburst? You're not still jealous of Atara and her beloved blond now are you? I saw you practically crying yesterday when you saw them together. Ah yes, that must be it... it's obvious jealousy...'

Immediately Montague's face turned a deep red. 'It is _not!_' he retaliated. 'Now let's go play and kick some Gryffindor ass! No way am I letting them win this year! Bletchley, beat the crap out of Potter for me, will you?'

Miles Bletchley sniffed loudly and nodded. Malfoy had quit the team the previous year, and the team had suffered quite a loss. After the event of the tryouts, Montague had stripped Bletchley of his title as Keeper, and made him Seeker instead. Montague then declared himself the Keeper, considering the change as for the better because 'I've got built and thus block more of the hoops. The bigger the bulk, worse the impact.'

With his face still flushed he strode past them and out of the locker room. Maria giggled, and she and the others stood up and followed him.

'Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first Quidditch match of the season!' cried Lee Jordan. 'With GRYIFFINDOR VERSUS SLYTHERIN!'

The pitch erupted in a deafening chorus of cheers. Draco yelled and waved a flag of the Slytherin crest in the air, anticipating the moment when the players would appear onto the pitch.

The weather seemed almost perfect for the battle that was soon to take place: the bitter cold of November had begun to settle, and the sky was cloudy and a dreary gray, threatening to let snow free any given moment. The pitch was already covered with thick white bundles, and the stands were smothered in sheets of frost. Sharp gusts of biting wind blew hard around the area, and Draco wondered whether anyone would be able to fly properly without being blown off course.

He scanned the area; it seemed that everyone from the entire school had to come to watch. The stands were flooded with students and many teachers, and Draco grinned. He knew most of them were eager to see what the three new girls could do. He grinned broader at the thought of Atara.

They had only been together for a hardly a week and yet Draco was the happiest he had ever been in his entire life. He wasn't quite sure of his feelings for her though; in fact, he constantly wondered whether he liked her out of lust or love, it was hard to tell. Nevertheless, no greater bliss could compare to that he felt when he kissed her. Other than that, he delighted in being the center of envious regard.

He gave out a mighty yell as the seven Quidditch players walked out onto the field.

'ATARA!' he bellowed, waving the flag madly. Several Slytherin students heard him and began shouting her name as well, and also Adelheid's and Tempestt's, who waved wildly at everyone they faced.

At the same time the seven Gyffindor players appeared on the opposite side. At once Slytherin broke into chastising boos, and Draco sneered as loud as he could at Potter, who, to his delight, looked evidently nervous. Draco almost wished he didn't quit the team last year. He couldn't be bothered to live up to the responsibility of being a player, but then... _fighting_ _Potter's not worth my time_, he thought with a shrug.

'The players take their positions,' continued Jordan, between huffs of cold. 'Looks like it's going to be an exciting game everyone, with the new comers from Durmstrang playing as the Slytherin chasers,' –Draco catcalled along with the rest of Slytherin- 'and word is Draco Malfoy's dating the black-haired beauty Atara Lil...'

'JORDAN, PAY ATTENTION TO THE GAME!' Draco could hear Professor McGonagall yell.

'Sorry, Professor. Captains shake hands, players prepare for take off as they mount their brooms...'

Draco stared down at the ground. Madam Hooch seemed to be lecturing Montague about something, but finally, she gave a loud blast on her silver whistle. The game had begun.

'The Quaffle is immediately taken by Slytherin Chaser Dawn Adelheid -my, she's cute- and she fires off on that brilliant Firebolt of hers –wait, no, Alicia Spinnet of Gryffindor grabs the Quaffle back and hurtles towards the other side – she dodges a Bludger -WAIT, now Quaffle's with Atara Lilith of Slytherin and off she goes –hey, where'd she go? Oh, there she is –that was fast –she swerves down, just avoiding being hit by Angelina Johnson –wow, Angelina, didn't think you could be so violent...'

'JORDAN!'

'...Lilith throws the Quaffle to fellow Chaser Maria Tempestt, another pretty one –and she's doing some sort of dance out there –now she's speeding towards the Gryffindor hoops- I think she's gonna –please Ron, save it –he dives –OH NO SHE SCORES!'

Draco let out a loud cheer as Slytherin scored its first goal. The house burst into peals of laughter as Weasley's face turned beet red.

'Okay, that was quick... now Gryffindor back in possession of the Quaffle, in the hands of Katie Bell there –she's flying up, Lilith's real close on her tail, and AHH... she grabs the Quaffle, nice distraction by Tempestt –hang on a sec, there seems to be a sort of fight between Beater Goyle of Slytherin and George of Fred Weasley, whatever, now a Bludger's heading straight for –WATCH OUT HARRY! Whew, that was close, nice dodging... wait a minute, WHAT ARE SLYTHERIN'S CHASERS DOING?'

Draco widened his eyes as far as they could go to figure out what the three girls were doing: Atara seemed to be yelling instructions to Tempestt and Adelheid, and they were circling around her vertically, with their brooms still facing forward. Atara was slowing down, but she held on fast to the Quaffle. Several of the other players had stopped to watch them, with an occasional movement from the Beaters in their blows against the Bludgers.

Tempestt and Adelheid began moving faster in their motion around Atara, who seemed to be gaining speed again as well. Suddenly she screamed something and she disappeared out of her straight position and into the rotating circle of the other two, and in a split second Tempestt came into Atara's previous position in the center of the circle. Much to Draco's awe she was now carrying the Quaffle tightly in her arm, and Atara and Adelheid around her.

'My, this is certainly something we've never seen before!' yelled Jordan breathlessly. 'It seems to be a sort of strategic formation, and looks like it wasn't part of the original play plan, judging by Montague's expression –now the three are going faster, and LOOK –now _Adelheid _is in the middle, and _she _has the Quaffle –this is absolutely amazing, they're going towards the three hoops –don't know if Ron Weasley will be able to withstand such play –I can hardly see them, they're going too fast... it's like a blurred tornado –they're bound to run out of, uh, gas soon, the field's not that big –there's a bell... WAIT, WOAH, SLYTHERIN SCORES!'

There was a momentary silence before the stands erupted in loud noise. Draco clapped violently, not quite believing what he had just witnessed. The three girls came into sight behind the Gryffindor hoops, looking nauseous and dazed. Adelheid gently floated down to the ground and plopped herself onto the cold snow, while Tempestt stretched herself on her broom with her mouth hanging wide open. Atara just looked around with half-closed eyes, one hand in her sleek hair.

'Slytherin has twenty points, with Gryffindor still at zero. The players resume positions, and the Quaffle... seems to have disappeared. Oh, there it is, in Katie Bell's possession –and she flies off towards the opposing hoops –looks like Slytherin's Chasers are too tired to follow, well, with that extraordinary display –and OOH, Bell narrowly avoids a Bludger –passes Quaffle to Alicia –come on, Gryffindor... Ahhhhh... YES! SHE SCORES! FINALLY, TEN POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR!'

Draco ignored the cries of joy from the other three houses, and the taunts towards them that echoed around from the Slytherin house. He didn't notice that the wind had picked up, and was now delightfully blowing in a continuous manner instead of short bursts. He didn't even realize that someone was tugging his arm vigorously. Something was wrong with Atara.

Her face seemed to be contorted in pain, and she was holding her head with both hands tightly. Anyone would have come to the conclusion that she was experiencing the aftereffects of the twirling formation she had just performed, but her clear blue eyes told otherwise. Much to Draco's surprise and wonder, their colour seemed to be flickering, jumping between its natural blue and, strangely, a bright red. Her mouth was open slightly, and moving in such a way that could only indicate she was trying to say something. Suddenly she shook her head violently, and looked up, her pale face showing every hint of fear and terror. Then, without warning she clutched her broom and sped off out of the Quidditch pitch area and headed towards the castle, just as Gryffindor scored once again.

Draco had to do something. He didn't know why Atara acted like she did, but he was determined to find out. He wove through the crowd of students, climbed down the stairs of the stands, and shot out onto the snow-covered Hogwarts grounds.

oOo

Pansy watched Draco disappear from her sight and gave out an irritated groan. He hadn't even noticed her, and she was certain he would when she tugged his arm to get his attention.

'Where did he go off to?' she wondered aloud.

'Who?' asked a croaky voice behind her. Pansy turned around and smiled widely at Millicent Bulstrode.

'My boyfriend,' replied Pansy simply. She pushed past Millicent before she could ask more of her.

_That woman's so annoying_, thought Pansy with a sigh, as she climbed down the stairs heading out of the Quidditch pitch. She shivered when she came to open air, and pulled her cloak around her tightly. She hurried across the grounds until she got to the great doors of the Entrance Hall, and she was relieved to find that the one of them was already open.

_Draco, where are you... _Pansy walked into the Entrance Hall and scanned the surrounding. The door leading below ground was open slightly. With a grin she strode towards it and squeezed herself through the thin aperture.

The dungeons were extremely cold, and the slimy walls distortedly reflected Pansy's image as she walked past them. Suddenly she heard a clattering sound just ahead of her, where the Potions class was held. Pansy slowed down her pace and bit her lip to stop the sounds of her chattering teeth from escaping. Finally she came to the door of the Potions dungeon and let one eye peer around it.

To her annoyance, it wasn't Draco inside, but Atara Lilith. Her back was turned away from Pansy, and she seemed to be brewing something, for Pansy could just see a small cauldron beside her containing a bubbling red fluid, and she was dropping things into the concoction. She looked like she was in a hurry, though, and obviously panicked, as she was breathing hard and her shoulders were shaking uncontrollably. Her Quidditch uniform was damp in various parts, as if she had fallen on some stray snow.

A few minutes later Lilith scooped up some of the strange potion in a small phial and –Pansy pushed her head further to see more – drank it. She let out a groan, but her shaking subsided a little. Then she emptied the cauldron with a flick of her silvery wand, and began putting away the equipment.

Pansy tiptoed away from the door and hid herself behind a large jutting stone in the wall a few feet away. She listened intently to the sounds Lilith was making, her mind racing. Finally, she heard Lilith walk out of the room and her quick footsteps died after a while.

Slowly and cautiously Pansy crept up to the dungeon and checked if it was really empty. Then a small glass bottle on the table where Lilith had been working on caught her eye. It was heart-shaped, and inside it swirled a sparkling periwinkle liquid. Pansy picked it up with interest and looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was there. Then she quickly opened the bottle.

_Maybe this is the one she was making_, she thought with satisfaction, quite forgetting that the potion she had seen was a shade of red. Delicately she sniffed the tip of the bottle, and closed her eyes to savor the sweet flowery scent.

She looked down, and was astonished to see that the bottle was now empty. Puzzled, she turned the bottle around to inspect it, and examined the floor around her to see if the potion had spilled, but to no avail.

'Oh well,' she muttered with a shrug, and kept the bottle in her pocket. She turned around, feeling suspicious, and headed out onto the dungeon corridor.

oOo

Atara watched Parkinson walk past her. It was fortunate that there were several cracks in the moss-covered walls, most of them large enough to accommodate a person. And sure enough, the crack she was in hid her completely from view, but enabling her to see across.

She sighed, and massaged her forehead. _Good thing I managed to drink the potion in time. I should have made an extra one this morning. _

She let her head fall back onto the stone surface behind her, and clutched the phial in her pocket. Her eyes fell shut, allowing herself to dwell among her numerous thoughts.

_What's happening to me? Why am I getting this feeling again? It can't be... it just can't be. I thought the potion was strong enough to keep it away for good. I'm feeling what I felt last year... it can't be... I don't want it to be... not now. I'm sensing more again. How did I even know that Parkinson was behind me, watching me? Why do I always know when people watch me? And my vision fading awhile ago. Everything turned red. These senses, these strange feelings... it can only be... is it... the..._

'NO! IT CAN'T BE!' screamed Atara, pushing herself out of the crack and flinging onto the stone ground. 'IT CAN'T! I KILLED IT ALREADY! IT CAN'T LIVE ANYMORE... it can't, shouldn't... escape... again... not now, not ever.'

Atara's head slumped onto the cold stone. 'Not ever...' She let out a sigh and everything went black.


	10. The Scent of a Nightmare

_I deeply apologize for the extremely long wait, but I must let you know now that examinations have come to date. But here it is... the next chapter. Maybe now you'll realize Atara's secret character..._

Chapter 9- The Scent of a Nightmare

Pansy shivered with the biting cold that surrounded the common room. She frowned as she scanned the dimly lit area for her night robe.

_Trust those two idiots to go and hide it somewhere here,_ thought Pansy angrily. _Honestly, Tempestt and Adel-what's-her-name are so childish._

She lifted up the small lamp she held, and gasped when its glow fell on a white-blond head leaning against one of the velvet armchairs facing the empty fireplace.

'Why, Pansy,' said Draco, casually getting up, 'it's almost midnight. What are you doing here so late at night?' His eyes travelled down her thin nightgown, and he grinned slyly.

Pansy flashed him a bright smile, delighted at his presence. 'I'm looking for my robe. It was stolen from me.' She walked up to him and whispered, 'Can you help me find it?'

Draco gave a single laugh. 'I know where it is. I saw your two friends run away with it a few hours ago. I think they went to the Owlery. Say we run there? I'm feeling numb; the run will warm me, and the sooner you get your robe back' – he slipped an arm round Pansy's shoulders –'the sooner _you _can get warm as well. I'd give you mine, but it wouldn't do any good... the stupid thing doesn't serve its purpose well.'

Pansy giggled automatically and placed the lamp on the ground. _Too bad Little Miss Perfect isn't here to see this... _'Sure! Let's go!'

As soon as they were out of the common room, they ran as fast and as quietly as they could towards the Owlery. Outside it was bitterly cold, and a thick mist hung in the air like a suffocating blanket. It was beginning to occur to Pansy to look for her robe the next day, but the thought of being with Draco excited her, and so they finally reached the tall tower.

The Owlery was noisy with frequent hoots and fluttering, and a portion of the mist floated through the several wide windows along the stone walls. Pansy withdrew her wand from her nightgown pocket and whispered, '_Lumos._' A radiant beam emitted from the tip of her wand, making the white mist seem brighter and more complete. None of the owls seemed disturbed by the change though.

Looking around, Pansy noticed a small wooden door opposite her, hardly visible through the mist and the several owls that perched on jutting edges around it, but she could see it was slightly open. She motioned for Draco to follow her, and they waded through the sea of hay and droppings across the room.

There was a faded piece of parchment pinned onto the door's chipped surface, and upon closer inspection Pansy found blotted words written on it: '_Not to be released until next Halloween'. _She frowned, then looked down at a broken padlock that hung loosely from the door's rusted handle, and it fell onto the soft ground quietly as Pansy pushed it open. She ignored the piercing stares of the owls, and slipped inside, Draco at her heels.

They entered a dark, window-less room, but there were several small apertures that led to the blanketed sky outside, although none of the mist passed through. Despite the pale light from these holes, they were in complete and empty darkness. The light from Pansy's wand didn't serve much either.

'I never knew there was another part of the Owlery,' whispered Draco, staring at the black space above them. 'Hey, is that your robe up there? On that pole, over there...'

Pansy looked up and saw a green cloth draped on a wooden board that stretched across the room, and she held up her wand to see it clearly. Then she noticed several black objects that seemed to be handing underneath the board. Just before she could make out what the objects were, Draco cleared his throat.

'_Accio _robe!' he said loudly, and the echo of his words, along with a soft breeze from the tip of his wand, passed by Pansy's head and towards the cloth.

Suddenly there was a shrieking noise, and several of the black objects that hung below the board merged together in their evident movement towards the two. Pansy screamed as the bats began clawing at her head, and she frantically waved her wand to curse them away, but stumbled in her effort. She heard Draco yell, and then a loud slam. Panicked, she turned her head around and through the wild curtain of bats she saw Draco gone, and the door leading outside closed.

'Draco, you coward!' cried Pansy in terror, as the bats smothered her. '_REDUCTO!_'

The spell only managed to hit some of the bats; the rest continued to attack Pansy, and in her panic she dropped her wand. Screaming yet again, she hid her head below her scratched arms.

'Parkinson...' a soft voice spoke.

Pansy looked up in sudden relief, thinking Draco had returned to save her. A chill colder than the air ran along Pansy's spine when she saw Atara Lilith. Her pale face, clearly visible amidst the hundreds of bats, was smiling mysteriously.

Pansy winced as a she felt a particularly painful bite. 'Help me!' she cried in desperation.

'They're just bats, Parkinson,' whispered Lilith icily. 'Besides, they're only doing what they think is right. You disturbed them, after all.'

Although Pansy's ears rang with the shrill shrieks of the bats, she vividly heard distant, harsh laughter, which sounded familiarly like those Tempestt and Adelheid would make.

'You set me up!' yelled Pansy, struggling to stand up. Suddenly Atara's face was just inches from her own.

'Obviously,' Atara said simply, and disappeared. Instantly Pansy felt a searing pain on her neck. She screamed, feeling as though her neck was being torn open. The cold laughter grew louder. Pansy could hardly see the bats anymore; her vision was fading as agony began to numb her. She looked down, horrified at the pool of thick blood forming around her, feeling it gushing out from her neck...

oOo

'PANSY, WAKE UP!'

Pansy's eyes shot open, and she screamed. Horrified, she grabbed her neck, and hysterically looked around for the bats that had surrounded her just a split-second ago. It took her a long while to realize that they were gone, that her neck wasn't bleeding, and that she was in her bed in the girls' dormitory. It had all been a dream.

Her pillow and blanket was damp with sweat, and she wiped her forehead with her sleeve, relieved it wasn't blood that covered her wet face. She looked up at the several faces staring down at her, most of them she didn't know at all, and her heartbeat began slowing to its normal rate.

'Are you okay?' asked Millicent Bulstrode, one hand on Pansy's arm.

'Some dream,' murmured Maria Tempestt, who was sitting on the small bedside table next to Pansy. 'Man, you were screaming like anything and waving your arms all over the place. We thought you were possessed or something! Well, that would've been interesting...'

'What was the dream about?' interrupted Bulstrode eagerly. Pansy groaned, and got out of bed. _More like a nightmare_, she thought grimly. She didn't feel like narrating what she saw, least of all going back to sleep. She felt that once she closed her eyes, she would see blood, bats, and Lilith. Shuddering, she pushed past the crowd surrounding her four-poster bed and grabbed her robe from the top of her trunk. She stared at the green robe for a moment, feeling anger brewing up, then looked up.

'Don't you two dare steal my robe, understand?' she snapped at Tempestt and Adelheid. They stared back at her in confusion.

'What?' asked Tempestt, standing up. 'We would never do such a thing! Now come on, tell us your dream, or I may be tempted to steal your robe then.'

'Come on, Parkinson,' whined Dawn Adelheid. 'I know you don't like us, but at least tell us the dream! Then we'll leave you alone, I promise!'

'Yeah right...' muttered Pansy. _They sure didn't do that in the dream... _She paused when she felt something fall from the robe and hit her bare foot. Looking down, she saw it was the heart-shaped bottle she had taken from the Potions class. Then a thought struck her. _Lilith! She's the one who gave me that dream, I'm sure of it! Why that..._

'Hey, I know that bottle,' piped up Adelheid. 'Maria, isn't that one of Atara's bottles?'

Pansy felt an instant burst of anger. 'I _knew it!_' she cried, grabbing the bottle. 'I KNEW IT! SHE CURSED ME! SHE GAVE ME THAT DREAM! SHE DID IT, I TELL YOU! WHERE IS SHE?'

'Um, I think she's still in the hospital wing...' replied Tempestt with a shrug. 'But that would be unfair, to attack her when she's unconscious? That's so low... and how are you even sure that she, uh, _gave _you that dream?' She glanced at Adelheid. 'It's probably your fault anyway. I'm guessing that since it's only about ten thirty, you skipped dinner and went straight to bed. And trust me, that's never good for the mind. You gave yourself the dream, honey. How could it _possibly_ be Atara? Well, in any case, if it _was_ she, then you deserved it because it may have been you in the first place who made her unconscious! We all know you hate her, so you did something to make her act all weird during the match, and in so doing sacrificing Slytherin's chances of winning! Now after an accusation like that, tell me how you can think it's Atara's fault you had that dream?'

'Because she's the only one smart enough to do so,' replied Pansy angrily, a little miffed by Tempestt's words. _It must have been that potion. _'And I don't care if I'm wrong. She's going to pay for it.'

She turned around and headed out of the dormitory.

oOo

Maria sniggered as Pansy slammed the door of the dormitory closed. She waited until the crowd dispersed, then she whispered to Dawn, 'You know, in my opinion, she really _did _deserve that dream! The times when Atara's little Scent of a Nightmare comes in handy.'

'Ah yes,' agreed Dawn with a grin. 'By the way, nice speech.'

Maria winked slyly. 'I know. And that was an _amazing _nightmare Atara brewed up! I'm so glad we know at least a little about penetrating minds, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to see what the dream was about! Pansy should have been on guard. Still, can't say I blame her; she was sleeping after all, so I don't think Occlumency was possible. But it sure was hard looking into Pansy's mind without the others knowing!'

'I wonder when Atara let her smell the potion...' said Dawn thoughtfully. 'We should visit her tomorrow after classes, see if she's awake already. But I can't wait until the side effects of the potion are executed! Pansy's going to be so terrified...'

oOo

Draco stared at Atara's closed eyes and sighed. It had already been a day since Professor Snape had found her in the dungeons, unconscious.

Draco examined her face; it seemed paler than usual, almost deathlike. She was still wearing her Quidditch robes, and her hair lay thrown across the pillow that gave Atara a complete lifeless impression.

Falling back on the wooden chair, Draco stretched his arms and yawned. Suddenly he heard a slight groan, and was delighted to see that it came from Atara, whose eyes were fluttering in their attempt to open.

'D- Draco?' murmured Atara, her eyelids finally lifting to reveal confused eyes. 'Where am I?'

'In the hospital wing,' replied Draco with a smirk. He leaned closer and planted a long kiss on Atara's lips. He drew back in satisfaction. 'Didn't actually think you could end up here. Snape found you passed out down in the dungeons yesterday. Are you all right?'

Atara rested a hand on her forehead. 'I think so... wha- I passed out? How come?'

'You're asking me? You were the one acting all strange during the Quidditch match. Oh, by the way, Gryffindor won.' Draco spat out the last word with disgust.

'Sorry...' whispered Atara weakly. 'It's my fault we lost. I don't know what came over me really. But, actually, I don't remember much. What exactly happened to me?'

'I don't know, you were quite far away,' answered Draco, stroking her arm. 'But you were looking all around you, and something was obviously wrong, because your expression was like one Granger would make when a teacher contradicts her, only you do it _much _better.' Atara chuckled. 'I'm serious... you looked absolutely terrified for some reason. But what was strange was your eyes... they were changing colour.'

'Changing... colour?' repeated Atara, frowning.

'Yeah, and that's something, 'cause my eyesight isn't that good, and you were miles away from me... but it was very clear; it was like they were going from blue to red, then red to blue, like that. Jumping between blue and red, I don't know why.'

Atara bit her lip. 'And did I do anything else... strange?'

'Well, you left the pitch that's all. But Madam Hooch had to disqualify us because we lost you, and also Adelheid and Tempestt were too tired to play... by the way, amazing strategy, that whole tornado thing... where'd you learn how to play like that?'

'Just a little something the three of us made up,' said Atara with small smile. 'With a little help from Viktor Krum, of course. Hey, don't you have a class now?' she added curiously.

Draco shook his head. 'Free period... I'm supposed to be studying right now, but the O.W.Ls are still next year. Something wrong with the teachers' thinking, it's like they want us to study every second of our life, when we can do other interesting things like _not _study every second of our life!'

Atara giggled, and closed her eyes wearily. Then, after a moment, she opened them again and whispered, 'Why do even like me, Draco? Tell me honestly, and don't you dare mention anything about my looks.'

Draco stared at her, taken aback at her question. His mind raced for a proper answer, but the only words that could form on his tongue was about her external appearance. But before he could say anything, Atara let out a loud moan.

'What's wrong?' demanded Draco.

Atara stared at him with a peculiarly odd expression, as if he was a complete stranger. Then she blinked hard and shook her head. 'Oh no...' she whispered, her voice shaky. 'It's starting again...'

'What's starting again?' Draco stood up in concerned panic. 'Are you feeling what you felt yesterday? Atara, tell me what's wrong!'

Suddenly Atara's eyes burst into a glaring shade of red. She sat up rapidly, then hurled herself out of the bed. Before Draco could stop her, she stood up and ran out of the hospital wing. He hesitated, then rushed after her.

oOo

Maria yawned and struggled to go back to sleep, as Professor Binns lectured them on the Giant Revolution. She and Dawn had been taught this in their second year at Durmstrang, and it had seemed interesting then, but Professor Binns' adaptation of the historical event made it almost impossible for anyone to be interested in. She tried as hard as she could to fall asleep, but Professor Binns jolted her awake with frequent sneezes and hoarse coughs.

'This is so boring!' she muttered to Dawn beside her. 'I think it would do us all a favor if we taught the lesson instead of this disgusting old coot!'

Dawn nodded sleepily. 'You go do that then. While you're at it, can you tell him to hush up a little?' With a yawn, she dropped her head onto her open book, her hair covering her face completely.

Maria shook her head in amusement, and then she too slumped onto the desk wearily. But a sudden yell from outside the classroom made her sit up in alarm: 'ATARA!'

The class erupted in puzzled murmurs. Professor Binns, however, looked as if he didn't hear anything, and continued his lecture. Nevertheless, Maria and Dawn stood up and rapidly made their way to the door. Opening it, they saw Draco Malfoy run past.

'HOY, MALFOY!' cried Dawn, as she and Maria tore after him. He looked over his shoulder at them and halted.

'Who are you chasing?' demanded Maria as soon as they caught up with him.

'Atara,' he replied, clutching his sides. 'Ouch... did you see her pass by here? I lost sight of her somewhere around this area.'

'_Why _are you chasing her?' asked Dawn, waving her hands to emphasize her question.

'Something weird started happening to her back at the hospital wing. I don't know what exactly, but then her eyes went red all of a sudden-'

'Red?' interrupted Maria, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

'Yes red, wait, let me finish,' snapped Malfoy, bending to one side to ease the evident pain at his side. 'Well, she took off without saying anything, and I went after her, but then I lost sight of her back there... and now I'm looking for her! Something wrong is obviously happening to her so if you're the loyal friends I doubt you are you'll come and help me look for her!'

'There's no need for insults, Malfoy!' said Maria indignantly. 'We ARE going to look for her, but for her sake, not yours!'

'We better get started,' said Dawn, biting her lip. She looked at a nearby window. 'It'll be dark in a few hours, and I know for a fact that it's never good when a person's lost in the dark.'

oOo

_A small, wooden hut embedded in snow came into view, and she could see thin wisps of smoke floating out from the chimney. She looked up the starry sky and gulped. It was happening to her again._

_The moon hung low in the night, and its soft glow illuminated the path towards the hut. She quickly but cautiously tore across the frozen plain until she reached the steps of the hut. Then she noticed the fencing attached to its side, the fencing she knew that held several animals captive. _

_She crept around the hut, but then stopped when she saw a giant black dog, sleeping in front of the gate leading to the other side of the fence. She slowly walked towards it, then hesitated when it moved a hind leg. Then a thought occurred to her, but she shook her head to remove it._

_'No, I mustn't,' she whispered hoarsely. But temptation drove her eyes to the dog's thick flesh. She turned away, trying to fight the impulse, but finally it grew too strong for her to resist. She looked back at the dog, feeling her throat dry, her body empty. She drew nearer to it._

_The inhabitant of the hut was too busy cooking to hear the low, painful howl of his dog._


End file.
